


I want you to stay

by buffylover



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Angst, BAMF Stiles, Daddy Stiles, F/M, Hurt Stiles, M/M, Multi, Oral Sex, Post-Season 3A, canon level violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-26
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-01-17 02:51:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 55,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1371253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buffylover/pseuds/buffylover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles is kicked out of the pack. He goes off to college and gets a life. Too bad it's not the life his dad wanted for him. But he loves it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Adding You to My Future](https://archiveofourown.org/works/926579) by [NekoIzumi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NekoIzumi/pseuds/NekoIzumi). 



> This is my first fanfic, so please be nice. This work is inspired by http://archiveofourown.org/works/926579 I loved this story and wanted to try a different take on it. thanks. I'm working to get the rest written and I will tag it if the rating goes up. The italicized parts of flashback memories.

Chapter 1

Stiles could only hear the huffing of his own breath as he jogged along the path. It was a clear cold morning. It was early so the light was soft. He could feel the weight of his bag on his back filled with a water bottle a couple powerbars, a towel for sweat and his Glock with two extra clips of wolvesbane bullets. In his sweatshirt pocket was a baggie of mountain ash. He wasn't a little kid anymore. Stiles couldn't shut his mind off while he ran. How the hell had his life become this? One minute he was in high school facing off against the forces of darkness (no he was not just being dramatic) and the next minute he was 24 and a single father raising twin were-tigers about to have his first official date with a werewolf who was the son of the local alpha. He had a successful veterinarian practice in a small town in Oregon. And his life was boring in comparison to his life in high school. But just as weird and unbelievable.

In high school he and his friends had fought off a dark druid and a pack of alphas. Well one of the alphas killed one of their own and then the dark druid killed an alpha and the twin alphas turned to the good side for love, or more likely just for the sex. Ok, so it was more like they survived the alpha pack and dark druid. But Scott had become an alpha and Derek became a beta. The next year and a half had been scary and awesome. Derek left with Cora and then came back alone. Peter had been a creeper and admitted that he was the one who killed and burned Jennifer's body. Scott, Allison and Issac had eventually fallen into a threeway relationship and seemed very happy about it. Mr. Argent had trained the humans in the pack. He was a fully trained and badass hunter, who didn't hunt and tended to think most hunters were crazy assholes. Yeah, he was a study of contradictions. But he still wore his silver bullet with pride on a necklace. He was proud of his training. He was just as good with guns as Mr. Argent was, thank you being the son of the sheriff. He would never beat Allison with a bow, he just sucked at that, but he was great with knifes and hand to hand. Hours spent getting his ass kicked by Mr. Argent had made him a force to be reckoned with. Together the pack had taken on rogue hunters, omegas, vampires (not sparkly at all), witches, harpies, demons, ghosts and a dozen other scary creatures. His high school career had been more like a Saving Private Ryan style war zone then 90212 hijinks. But he had been happy. He felt like he finally had that big family he always wanted, he had the pack, he didn't have to lie to his dad anymore and they were doing awesome, and best of all Derek and he had finally given into the insane levels of UST and started to date. After three months Derek said I love you, and he said it back. One minute he was happy, and then a week later Derek dumped him in front of the pack and Scott kicked him out of the pack. The memory still made his chest tight and his eyes watery.

_“You shouldn't be here Stiles!” Derek growled at him when he walked into his loft. “You aren't really pack. This isn't your life Stiles. And I don't want to be with you. I don't love you Stiles.” “Derek, what are you saying? How can you say this? And in front of everyone, asshole” Stiles couldn't believe Derek was saying this to him. Just last weekend they had spent hours in bed naked. And now he was saying this? His chest tightened and he started to shake. Anger flooded into the front of his mind “I'm every bit a member of this pack as you are. Back me up on this Scotty.” “Derek is right, Stiles. You shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous” Scott said without meeting his eyes, looking so much like a puppy who had been caught misbehaving. “And you're not a wolf, you're not really a part of the pack. You're not supposed to be here Stiles. Just leave, go home and we'll talk later. ” “So all those times I spent all night researching what was trying to kill us was for what, for fun? All those times I helped save the day. Scott don't do this to me.” He could barely breath in he was shaking in anger, and maybe shock and sadness but he was trying to focus mainly on the anger. He could feel the shock from the pack around him. Allison had a hand over her mouth like she was trying to stop words from pouring out of her mouth. The rest just looked down refusing to meet his eyes. Lydia looked like she was about to cry. “Derek please, I love you. You know I do. Why are you saying this?” Stiles pleaded with Derek. But Derek's face was stone, giving no hint of emotion, no hint of the love that had shone through a week before. Stiles saw red and spun to Scott to confront him now. “And when do we listen to Derek? He makes terrible life choices. Remember Jennifer?” Ok yeah he knew he shouldn't be saying this, but he was so angry he was having a hard time breathing let alone thinking. Dam his lack of filter. “Remember Paige? Kate? Are we forgetting he drove away half his pack and got them killed? And we're letting this guy made decisions?” At those words he heard the pack gasps and he knew he had gone too far. He glanced at Derek who was now white as a sheet and looking like he was about to puke. In his defense this conversation was killing him. He had actually been tortured by some rogue hunters and that had hurt less then this conversation. Scott walked up to him, invading his space and making his eyes glow red, “ leave Stiles. You're no longer a park of this pack” Derek looked at him with nothing but rage in his eyes, burning blue “I don't love you Stiles. I never did. The only reason we even let you come to these meetings was it made Scott happy. But we don't need you here Stiles” And with that Stiles walked out, drove home and had a panic attack._

Stiles shook his head trying to get that memory out. Don't think about Beacon Hills. Try to stay out of your head, Stiles. You are on a run. You are keeping yourself fit with exercise, you are not psychoanalyzing yourself. Ahh fuck. Too late, after he had recovered from that panic attack he got on his computer and sent off his confirmation to the University of Oregon. The U of O and Fresno State had both offered him full rides. But the U of O was father away, so he was heading there. He told his dad what happened when he go off work and his dad said maybe this was his chance at a normal life. To not have to worry about what goes bump in the night. Graduation and the following summer was one of the worst times of Stiles life. The pack ignored him. The only concession he got was Deaton supplied him with mountain ash and Mr Argent would continue to sell him wolvesbane bullets and knives. Scott had come by before he left for college to wish him luck. He had cried and told Stiles he was going to miss him and that they would still be friends. Stiles had been so lonely he agreed and hugged him but then Scott proved that he wasn't the smartest person and said that he still couldn't talk about the pack to him. Stiles just sighed and told him it was fine. Scott was nice enough to not call him out on the lie. He rounded the final hill on his run. He could see the house he rented ahead of him. He puffed out a couple final breaths before sprinting the last half mile. He walk up to his front porch and walk in, there was Mrs. Perkins with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. She was his neighbor, a sweet retired elementary teacher who had adopted him and his kids. She was the perfect babysitter. The twins loved her and she was great with them and loved having Stiles intrude in her life. They exchanged pleasantries and she again tried to set him up with her daughter next time she comes to visit. He laughed and told her no. They chatted for a while longer then she headed home. Stiles wandered over to the kids room and looked in on them. They were perfect. Yeah, he had no idea how this had become his life. But he was ok with it now that he was here.


	2. College fun times and sad times

 

Stiles went to hop into a shower and kept thinking. Dam his overactive mind. He had never really grown out of his ADHD. He just used it to keep up with his kids and work. His mind wouldn’t stop turning and making him relive crappy memories. College had been fun. Awkward and hard to adjust to, but fun. The first quarter he had tried, really tried to be normal. But going from what is basically a war zone to normal was very hard.

_He liked his roommate and even let him drag Stiles to some parties the first week. He had relaxed and had fun, until a drunk dude tried to shove a girl that Stiles was talking to up against the wall. Stiles hadn't even thought about it, he was grabbing the guys arm pulling it behind his back, kicking out one of his knees and slamming his head against the wall as he fell to the ground. The whole party had gone silent. The girl had stammered out a thanks and bolted. He looked around waiting for this guys friends to come at him, but all he got was a couple guys apologizing for their drunk friend. The party resumed but no one was talking to him. He told his roomie to have fun and headed back to the dorm. He tried to be normal after that, but word got around that he was a little hair triggered. He was just glad that no one had known he had had three knives hidden on him that night. He kept his head down and went to classes and tried, really tried to be normal. He enrolled in some MMA classes to keep in hunting shape and it gave him a reason for knowing how to fight._

He got out of the shower and started to towel off. Glancing across the room he looked at his reflection in a mirror on his closet doors. He was still in fighting condition. Broader shoulders then when he was in high school, more muscles as well. More scars too. He had a bite on his shoulder from Derek. No no no no. Don't think about Derek biting you. Think about the other scars. He had a couple knife scars from hunters and a bullet wound. A grouping of claw marks down his side from an omega that had invaded their territory. And a dozen other smaller scars all over. He got dressed and again thanks god he only had to wear jeans and a button down shirt. Of course he had a knife in each boot but that was just being cautious.

He headed to the kitchen to start breakfast for the twins. Checking his phone on the way in, he saw a text from his dad congratulating him on a year at his office. He sent off a thank you text back to his dad. He got a pot and filled it with milk when his cell dinged again “Son, we need to talk about the twins birthday. It's coming up. We could have it here.”

Stiles sighed and sent off “Dad, we're going to have it here. I already told you that. Their friends from daycare are here. And I can get to know the parents of the kids they'll be in school with.” Plus he could pass around his business cards for the families who had pets. More clients were always a good thing. He reached into the fridge to pull out the eggs and a package of sausages. With the oatmeal and raisins it would make a good breakfast for the kids. He was amazed as how much such little things could eat. But they were tigers.

“But they should get to know the pack, son” his cell dinged. Dammit there it was. The huge frickin elephant that he was constantly trying to never ever think about. His dad was a member of a pack that he was not, and that fact made him want to scream for a very long time. Find out that his dad was pack was one of the most painful days of his life, and once again, he thought, I've been tortured. It was more painful then Scott turning him away and Derek telling him he didn't love it.

 _Stiles was about an hour outside of Beacon Hills. He was going to surprise his dad for christmas. Christmas was never a huge deal for the Stilinski's after Stile's mom died. The Sheriff usually spent the day at the office so those deputies who had kids could stay home. Stiles usually just went over to the McCall’s house. When it turned out he had to work the day before Christmas Stiles had elected to stay in the dorms for the holiday so his dad could go to the office. But after five minutes at the professors office he got a call telling him to go home. He went back to the dorms went to sleep, got up and decided to drive through the night and see his dad in the morning. He called to make sure his dad was at the office, “Merry Christmas dad” “ah, thanks Stiles, you too. How was work? I hate knowing you have to be alone in the dorms for the holiday” He could hear people in the background and wondered how many deputies had shown up for work. There were probably a couple that didn't have families at home. His dad's voice was very relaxed and happy. It was nice to hear. “Work went by fast. Are you at the office now?” Stiles asked. “Yeah, just getting some paperwork done. It's a pretty slow day. Most people are still opening presents with family. You should get some rest. Being there by yourself will give you some down time. Oh, did you get your grades back yet?” Stiles could swear he heard people giggling in the background. Who the hell was at the Sheriffs station? “yeah dad, I did, you are talking to a boy who got all A's.” he stated with pride. “Ah son, that's is fantastic. You are going to get into any program you want if you keep this up” He could hear the pride in his fathers voice. “I really love you Stiles. I can't wait to see you in a week for new years” “I love you too dad”. Stiles hung up and tried to fight bouncing up in down from the nervous energy of getting to surprise his dad. He arrived in town and drove to the Shariffs station picking up some coffee and donuts on the way. He walked in with a huge smile on his face and saw two deputies, “hey guys, Merry Christmas. I brought surgery food and coffee. Is my dad in his office? “oh Stiles. No, he didn't come in today. He said he was going to open presents at Melissa's house” They looked at him with confusion on their faces. Stile's face matched theirs. Why would his dad lie to him. He starts to think about why his dad_ _would be the the McCall house and the bottom drops out of his stomach. He pulls it together long enough to tell the deputies to enjoy the coffee and donuts and have a Merry Christmas. He drives over to the McCall's house and parks down the street. There parked in the drive way is his dads cruiser right next to Derek’s camaro. Fuck fuck fuckity fuck fuck. Ok now he knows he's being a creeper but he pulls out some binoculars and looks through their front window. Sitting on the couch is his dad, laughing with a pile of wrapping paper around him. Stiles can feel his heart beat in the back of his head. Everything seems to be louder and warmer. Then he watches Derek lean over and scent mark his father. His dads face is friendly and warm, this is not a new action. Fuck fuck fuck. Scott leans in next and does it too. Oh god oh god, can't breath his mind screams. He starts his car and does a U-turn and heads to his house. A couple blocks from it he pulls over and pukes outside his jeep. Shaking and with tears in his eyes. His father was part of the pack. He knew from research and talks with Derek that they only did that with packmates. It was a sign of love and trust. It feels like a vice is closing around his chest. He's trying to breath, oh god come on Stiles you can breath. He drives back to his house and unloads his bags. He goes to the couch and falls to it. Everything is hazy and he can barely stop shaking. He feels so much pain and anger burning the inside of his head, he pushes his face into a pillow and screams over and over. When he can feel his breathing evening out he starts to pull long deep breaths. His father is pack, his father is pack. His father is pack and lying to him about it. Scott and Derek are scent marking his dad. The pack that had disowned him was scent marking his dad. He could feel every minute of pain and hate he had felt everyday since he had been kicked out of the pack grow cold. He didn't feel hot or flushed from the hate anymore. He felt focused and oddly calm. He curiously thought that this might be what Derek had meant when he said anger was his anchor. He felt grounded. He looked around and saw the time. Huh, that panic attack had taken over 45 mintues. Ok he had stuff to get done. He threw some cloths into the washer and went to his room. He took it all in and realized most of it he wouldn't need. He went to his closet and pulled out his kevlar vest from the back, it was a birthday present from Chris Argent. He grabbed the case with his guns and ammo,_ _along with his knives. He packed more cloths, Oregon was colder then he was used to. He collected a couple boxes of his favorite books and loaded his jeep. He moved the laundry around and went back to loading his jeep, it was going to be a tight fit to get all this stuff into his dorm room, but he had a couple weeks til his roommate was back in the dorms with him. He would find a way to make it fit. Next he loaded all his pack related books and research. Making sure he grabbed all the flash drives with the Hale's Bestiary and the Argents. Then all the information he had collected from Deaton. He was going to be damned if the pack would take his dad and all his research. Screw them. When his cloths were done he grabbed some food. He took out his dad gifts, he got him a couple University of Oregon coffee mugs and a sweatshirt. Taking a deep deep breath he started to write his dad a letter “ hey dad, I stopped by the office to say Merry Christmas. Swung by the McCalls house. Guess you're pack now. Cool. Glad they're looking out for you. I'm heading back to the dorms tonight. Don't worry, if I get tired i'll pull over and take a nap. Call me when you feel like it. I'll be back for the summer I guess. I love you dad” He went and finished loading his jeep. He started to drive and before he knew it, he was pulling into campus and it was dark. Thank god he didn't get in an accident. He unloaded his jeep in silence and didn't start to cry till he was in bed. He cried until his body was too tired to do anything and passed out. In the morning his dad finally called him. “Stiles? We need to talk, i'm so sorry you found out that way” “It's ok dad. I understand” wow, even to his own ears his voice sounded cold, uninterested. “You're pack now. Good for you. Um, you should know I took all my research for the pack. And my guns and knives, and my vest. Just in case you go looking for them.” “Stiles the pack might need that information. You can't just leave them hanging out there like that” He could hear his dad trying to stay calm. A cold logical part of his mind wondered if he was upset that Stiles was so hurt, or that the pack was now at a loss. He decided he didn't care. “Well Dad. They'll just have to find that information somewhere else. It all exist out there, they can do the work to find it now. They aren't going to tell me I’m worthless and still get the rewards of my work. Scott can man up and_ _start to make Deaton actually talk in full sentences instead of being so dam cryptic or he can start to read. I doubt he can get Lydia to do it for him, since she's at MIT. But he can always ask.” he can feel himself getting worked up and takes a couple deep breaths “Dad, I don't want to fight. I went to the registrar's office today and doubled up on my classes. I don't think I’m going to have the free time to come visit for a while. It can be ok. We can just go back to editing our conversations. You can't talk to me about the pack, and I'm not sure I care to hear about them. But I love you dad” He could hear tears in his dads voice when he said “i love you too son”._

He came out of that memory holding onto his counter top. Deep breath and he was ok again. Being able to compartmentalize emotions is amazing. Unhealthy but amazing. The food was almost done so he could get the kids up. He smiled at the thought of how cute they will look asleep.

He sends off a final text to his dad “ they already know a pack here dad. They don't really need to get to know another pack. Dad, they think wolves smell funny. Later day, I have to get the kids ready for daycare and head to work”. He walked down the hall to the twins door and looked in, he was right, they did look freakin cute.


	3. Chapter 3

He opened the door and looked in on his twins. Claudia and Sasha Stilinski. Claudia was a spitfire. Loud and brave and awesome. Sasha was just like him. Always asking questions and up and climbing on everything. They had the same color hair as him, but their eyes, their eyes were all their mother, Catherine Brononski. Yeah, his kids were uber Russian/Polish. The perfect moment of quiet was shattered when his kids squealed and jumped out of their beds. “Daddy!” they both jump at him. He acts like the badass he is and catches them in the air with a grunt then a laugh “ok you two. It's time for breakfast.”

“daddy daddy daddy. I dreamded that it was our birthday party and you got me a barbie. Are you going to get me a barbie daddy? Claudia started to ask. She was the dominant twin. She tended to talk before Sasha did. And yes, he did know naming his son Sasha was a dick move to make. But it was Catherine's fathers name and she picked it out. Plus he just called him Sa.

“Hmmm, well, have you been a good girl? Cause only a little girl who was good would get to have a new barbie.” he teased. She started to squirm in his arms so he let her slide down and walk next to him. Sa leaned in and snuffled into his neck. “did you sleep ok Sa?” “I did daddy, I dreamed we were swimming. Will you take me swimming?” “Sure thing sweetie. How about tomorrow we go to the pool and we can swim after I get off work?” he said. Both kids did little happy noises and he got them settled in their chairs moving over to the stove to start dishing up the food. Eggs, sausages and oatmeal with raisins, god he felt so domestic and loved every minute of it. The kids started to eat and he just watched them.

A feeling of happiness and contentment wrapping itself around him. He started to eat and think about Catherine. She was amazing. Meeting her had saved his life. He would have been a cold emotionless asshole without her.

  _He was spending two weeks in Beacon Hills with his dad for the summer before he left for Portland, or. He had gotten an internship at the Oregon Zoo. It would look great on his resume and help him be familiar with exotic animals. He would have to live in the Portland State dorms, but it would still be awesome, he would get 20 credits of practicum experience. His dad had pleaded for him to come home for the summer. He couldn't, he just knew that if he had a whole summer in town, running into members of the pack, he would slowly go nuts. He had settled for a two week visit to catch up with his dad. The day he drove up Allison's car was in his drive way. He contemplated the idea of just driving away, but his room wasn't ready in Portland for a couple weeks._

_He walks in and sees Scott, Allison and Isaac waiting on his couch, Scott and Isaac are playing xbox. They all look so happy to see Stiles that he almost melts, almost forgets that they haven't talked to him all year in longer conversations then a simple “hi how are you”. They couldn't open up about any pack business so they really couldn't have any type of honest conversation. The only thing of real value he knew about their lives while he was gone, was that they had all given each other mating bites. They all have visible scars on both sides of their necks. Mating bites were usually given during sex, so the neck was the normal spot. Stiles had a bite from Derek on his own collar bone, which he spent a lot of energy every day trying to not think about. They spent the next couple hours talking about random topics. Scott was at the community college taking nursing classes. Allison was doing online classes while learning the arms dealing trade from her dad. Isaac was in community college too and working for Deaton. Stiles filled them in on his school year. They were impressed with his workload. While most students only did around 45 credits a year, he did 75. Instead of taking 15 credits a quarter he did 15, then two terms of 30. And he still had gotten a 4.0. he was dam impressed with himself._

_Scott asked him about his holidays then froze and turned red. Stiles sighed and said “my holidays were fine Scott. Thanksgiving was nice, I spent it at one of the Fraternities on campus, they hold a yearly thanksgiving for all those students who can't get home for the weekend. It ended up being a really good time. I ate a_ _ton and then they had a band playing in the basement. I woke up the next day in bed with two of the brothers. The walk of shame out of there back to my dorm was hilarious” he says blushing. All three of them start to look very uncomfortable._

_“Oh, you're dating people now?” Allison says, very quietly._

_“Well, not really dating. It's hard to explain all the scars to people. But college is a great time for one night stands” he answers laughing. He wasn't as hot as the wolves, but he was till pretty dam cute. “and being bi makes for more potential partners"_

_“Oh, we thought you might be laying low. After Derek and all” Allison looked at him with sad eyes, how someone who could be so scary could always look so sweet, Stiles had no idea. Isaac reached over and soothed her. “We know how hurt you were last summer”_

_“Well I was hurt. I was hurt by a lot of things that summer. But I got over it. Besides, from my calls to check up on my dad to the station, Shelly at the front desk told me about Deputy Hale coming into work with lipstick on his collar and looking rumpled, I think it's save to assume he's not pining away for me. So why should I be celibate?”He tells them with a laugh in his voice. He's trying very hard to know notice how Scott looks down and won't meet his eye. He knew that Derek was sleeping around, hell, he probably could smell it when he was around him. Stiles one major goal of this visit was to not run into Derek. He was even considering not going by the Sheriff's station without calling first. But that would look sad and desperate. And he would not be sad and desperate. He would be the badass who calmly walked into a warehouse where his pack was being beat down and shot and killed four wolves who were invading. He would be that guy. Not the guy who cried in his room for two weeks after Derek told him he didn't love him._

_“We were going to tell you about him this summer. We just didn't know how to tell you he was seeing people again.” Scott looks like he's about to cry with how sad he looks. Sometimes that boy really is a puppy. He starts to look hopeful “but you'll be here all summer. We can hangout and really spend some time before you go back to school.”_

_“Ah, Scott. Yeah, about that. My dad didn't tell you? I'm only going to be here for two weeks. I got into a program at the Portland Zoo.” They look at him like he just told him he was going to kick_ _a puppy._

_“But Stiles! It's the summer. We were supposed to get time with you. We were going to go to the beach and play video games all night. We haven't seen each other in months. I miss my best friend” Now Scott really looks like a puppy. Allison and Isaac seem to be doing their best impressions of statues._

_“Scott, I feel really bad saying this but you were my best friend. You were my brother. But we haven't had a real conversation in a year. I have no idea how the pack is doing. I only hear little things you tell me and they are things that don't matter. I don't hear about new threats or alliances. I used to matter. And now I don't. So I'm fighting to become something else. Something that matters. Now that this hurts you. But growing up hurts. Now, let's act like I didn't just throw out a huge bomb and go back to playing xbox. We have two weeks to act like best friends. Let's use them” he practically begs with his eyes. They go back to playing and talking about who is home for the summer and who got fat from college food. Those two weeks passed quickly. He hung out and ate too much fast food with Scott. He went to the shooting range with Allison and Chris. He spent time with Isaac and his dad. And he thanked every god he could name that he didn't run into Derek once._

 “Daddy. Daddy. Daddy.” Claudia interrupted his thoughts. “We're all done” He looks her with a huge smile on his face. “you are done. Awesome. Go wash up while I load the dishwasher then get dressed. I set out some shorts and shirts for you two. Then we can brush our teeth and head to Mr's Carols house. She said you guys are going to be playing in her garden today. You guys get to plant pretty flowers”

“But daddy. Mr's Carol smells funny.” Sasha pouts. “well, that's because she's a wolf. You smell funny to her too you know.” he laughs. “now run along so we can get ready. We're going to the store after work and I know two little tigers that might get a good dessert with dinner if they behave” he leans down and scents marks both of their cheeks. They both make little happy sounds and run to the bathroom. Stiles loads the dishwasher and turns it on. He looks over the kitchen and wipes the counters down. He goes to the bathroom and brushes his own teeth. His kids climb up onto the counter and sit with him. They tended to miss teeth if they brushed them, so he helped out. And felt so happy while doing it.

They load up the car. A nice energy efficient highly safety rated boring Subaru. But it's good for the kids. His jeep sits next to it mostly unused. He drops off the kids and gets a hug from Mr's Carol and her kids. She was a kind looking woman. In her early thirties with three kids, all born werewolves. The youngest was a year older then his twins. All of the wolves loved his little tigers.

“I should be off work around 4:30. Then I can swing by and grab them. Again, thank you so much Carol” he hands her a bag of lunches and spare cloths for the kids. She always tisks at him when he brings food.

“take your time Stiles. In fact if you want I could watch them this evening. I hear you have a big date.” She wiggles her eyebrows at him.

“Is he telling everyone? Hehe, thanks but it's just a dinner at the house then watching a movie.” he tells her. Tyler and his big mouth.

“He's our alphas youngest. He doesn't have to tell us. We are a small town. Not a lot to do but gossip. But don't worry, we're all rooting for you.” she laughs and hugs him as he turns to leave. His kids yelling their goodbyes from where they are already playing.

He drives to his office with a smile on his face. Waving at some people he knows on the streets. This really is a small town. He gets to his office and his assistant hands him his schedule and he hands her a coffee and some pastries. “It's a light day today. And you're going to get me fat if you keep feeding me these”. He leans over and half arm hugs her. “Oh please, you have an amazing metabolism. I've never seen a fat wolf.” he pulls on his lap goat to look professional and gets to work. Thinking about his assistant Barbara, she reminded him of Melisa McCall, single mom, teenage son. She was a dam hard worker. He wasn't sure he would have as successful a practice if she wasn't helping him. He walks to the exam room and his cell dings. Looking down in dread hoping it's not his dad he is pleasantly surprised.

“We still on for tonight?” Tyler's text reads.

“Definitely. Wouldn't want the town to think I stood you up.” he sends back. Today was looking like it was going to be good.


	4. portland and tigers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there is some mentions of sex in this chapter. if that bothers you skip this chapter.

Work was going by fast. Today it was mostly routine shots and check ups. A couple rushed in dogs that had eaten chocolate. But nothing too stressful. He found himself thinking back to college. After the two weeks of acting like friends he had taken off to Portland. His dad had hugged him with tears in his eyes when I had left Beacon Hills. He had told him he loved him. And to call when he was there. The drive had been hard, but he stopped in Eugene with some college friends who let him crash in their couch for the night, he wasn't sure he trusted them but they have lived in the same dorm and liked him well enough, before continuing. While in town he got a safety deposit box and put all the work for the pack in it. He kept a flash drive for himself, but the original books were ancient, so he wanted them to stay safe. He might have hummed the music to Mission: Impossible while he was in the back. He couldn't help it. He felt like a badass getting a safety deposit box. The trip up to Portland after that was fun. The second day there he met Catherine. That memory always made him smile.

_He was waiting in line for a coffee in the shop next to his new dorm. It was an ok dorm. Bigger then the one at University of Oregon. This was set up like a small studio instead of just a room. He was feeling more then a little hungover. He had tried his fake id at a gay bar last night. He decided to have fun this summer. Try to let go of some of his anger. The year at school hadn't been as much fun as he was telling his dad. Maybe he'd join a yoga class to meditate. And last night had been fun. He had met a couple guys who were very handsome. Tall, blond and built. They had taken him home and the sex had been incredible. He might have begged them to cum all over his back, face and stomach. Ok, he had begged. He loved knowing he was going to smell like them, marked by their scent. He had some leftover kinks from being around wolves during his sexually formative years. Sue him._

_He was waiting in line when he noticed a girl. Beautiful, blond hair and perfect blue eyes. She kept giving him weird looks. Setting off his radar for danger. He got his coffee and ordered a pannini, he needed something to help soak up the alcohol to help the hangover. The girl moved over to the corner with him. Setting up like she wanted to use the outlet for her laptop._

_After a couple minutes of sniffing and making faces she said “God, what did you do? Bath in their cum? Ahg I bet even the humans can smell it”. He tensed and she laughed “Calm down dorko. I'm not going to hurt you” he scoffs._

_“i'm not that worried about me. What do you want?” He glares at her._

_“Ahh, you're kind of an angerball. I like it. Don't worry. I'm just here for coffee. And if you don't want people to notice. You might want to put that under your shirt.” she glances down at the silver bullet on his necklace. He sighs and puts it away. “So, you're an Argent?”_

_“No. Just trained by one” he tells her. He trying to get a read on her. She looks familiar somehow. He moves his hand towards his back, where he has a knife hidden. He can tells she notices cause she tenses up._

_“I've never broken your code. I'm not even a wolf” She tells him with a bored look on her face._

_ “Wait, what? What are you then?” he doesn't flail at all. He just had to work a kink out of his arm. His arms didn't move up in the air. Not a all. Dammit at least it wasn't that big of a move. It's not his fault. He's never met any other types of weres. He knows the exist, but they never went to Beacon Hills. _

_ She laughs for a couple minutes at him. He doesn't sulk. Just cause a beautiful women is laughing at him isn't a good reason to sulk. She leans in “I'm a Tiger. And you're name is Stiles” _

_ Now he definitely flails his arms and goes for his knife. She moves to fast to see and has his arms pinned to his sides. To anyone looking at them, the would just see a girl giving a little hug to him. “I go to UofO too. Don't be so paranoid. You lived in the dorm across from mine. And you did the walk of shame past my door a couple times. But don't worry. I'm sure you're not the first college freshmen to get a little slutty.” _

_ He relaxes. “I'm here for a marketing internship at Nike. And you'll just have to get used to seeing me around. We're in the same dorm now.” He really wants to hate her. He really really does. But he's already kind of impressed with her and she seems like bitchier version of Lydia. And he misses having real friends. _

_ “Fine, so we're both in the same city. Doesn't mean we have to be friends.” And again she starts to laugh at him. “You're right, we don't have to be friends. But we probably will be. You're kind of damaged. I like that in guys. Plus, I want a friend who knows I'm a tiger. Get used to it” _

_She bulldozed the rest of his day and made him come back to her dorm room and help her set up her entertainment center. He sets up the tv, stereo and her xbox. They end up spending the afternoon playing games and ordering pizza. For the first time in a while he finds himself relaxing. Taking his cues from her. If she can't hear or smells trouble coming, then he knows he can let his concentration slip a bit. He massacres her at Halo. That starts the best summer of his life. The spend all their spare time together and talk. She teaches him all about Tigers and how they differ from Wolves. Tigers can turn all the way into actual tigers and don't have the anger issues with their forms that wolves have. Even from birth they tended to have full control of their shift. She was a white tiger. Siberian white tiger. She would just laugh and say “I”m Russian.”_

_ Turns out Tigers tend to like being away from other tigers. Families were ok, but they didn't run in groups. She would get a scary smile on her face and say it was easier to sneak up on your prey when you didn't have to worry about anyone else making noise. Then she would jump on him and usually kiss him in public. Everyone in the dorm thought they were dating. But apart from the inappropriate touching and a couple drunken sex sessions they were becoming best friends. He trains with her and teaches her about hunters. How to tell the signs of them and how to tell the ones who didn't care about the Code. She is suitably impressed with his training and gun collection. A little scared of the bullets. Wolvesbane kills all shifters. Not just wolves. _

_ That summer is one of healing. They go to yoga and he starts to let his anger go. One night he even tells her about the dreaded day he was kicked out of the pack. He cries on her shoulder and feels a cold scary part of his heart start to thaw. He smiles more and she confides in him that she feels safer with a hunter looking after her. He tells her about the hurt of his father joining the pack. The loneliness of the past year. The weird PTSD behaviors he had from living in the war zone that was his life in Beacon Hills. She tells him about her life. Her family in Chicago. The siblings she doesn't see that often. _

_It was the most fun he had had in years. And apart from one horrible hookup that his mind actively tries to block out, he becomes healthier and happier. He even starts to call his dad more. He can practically hear his dads happiness as they become closer. But he never tells his dad Catherine's a tiger. Just that she's his friend. He doesn't want the pack knowing what she is. But for the first time in a long time. He feels like he might have a pack again, even if it's only a pack of one._

He finishes his lunch and grabs an extra order with a sandwich and chips for Barbara. He likes being a cool boss. Plus he knows she'll bring it home as a snack for her son. He gets to work hands her the bag, which she laughs and tells him he didn't have to. He tackles the next couple appointments. He stops at the store to pick up stuff for spaghetti. He drives to Mr's Carols house to get his kids. He drops to his knee as they run up.

“Daddy daddy daddy” they both hit him at the same time practically bowling him over. He laughs and kissing and nuzzles both of them. 

They look up to him with blue glowing eyes and little claws on their finger tips. “hehe, ok little tigers. Put those away. When we get home I’ll put on dinner and then we can run around in the backyard. You two can shift and chase me”. This makes them both squeal and jump around.

Carol walks out and tells him both of the kids were very good. She hands him so drawings they did. “ahh, my little kids couldn't have done these. These are amazing. They should be in a museum. The great artists of our time should learn from these.”

His kids blush and go “Ddaaaaaddddd” making the word a couple syllables long. It is one of his greatest joys is making his kids blush. A part of him can't wait till they are dating age so he can scare the crap out of their dates. 

“Oh you, you be nice to those kids” Carol laughs while she says. “They are getting excited for their birthday. They asked if their grandpa is coming. They seem a little worried that he won't be.”

He sighs. Part of the problem of leaning on others for help is that they feel they can ask you anything. But she is a good person and he doesn't want to go off on her. “I'm trying to work something out. If he can't make it up here we can get down there for a weekend sometime before they start school. It's just awkward working stuff out with the two packs.”

“well. I know you'll do what's right. You're a good father, Stiles.” Most of the Renold's pack knows about his history with his father and his fathers pack. The Renold's pack was over a hundred members. The Alpha was Mayor and her husband was the Sheriff. Patricia and James Renold. They loved him. They were actively campaigning to get him to join their pack. The first time he met them they both hugged him like they were family. It had freaked him the fuck out. “We'll see you tomorrow then?”

He nods his head and thanks her again. She pats his shoulder and he loads the kids into the car. The drive back to his house is filled with his kids telling him all about their day. They got to plant marigolds. Now they wanted them at their house. He loved their energy. He started dinner and got them a quick snack. They would burn it up when they shifted and played. They headed outside to exercise. He really had no idea how this had become his life. Going outside to play with his half shifted tiger twins. His life was weird.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bit of violence in this chapter.

He was running around trying to dodge his little furballs. The twins were in their beta forms. He was wearing a sweatshirt he didn't mind getting little claw marks on. Claudia was the more ferocious one. She rarely stopped attacking. Sasha was the stealthy one. He would be watching quietly trying to look for an opening before he jumped into the fray. Stiles was already impressed with their control of their strength. He rarely even ended up with bruises from them. He knew later on they would need more training. And he would have to wear pads and teach attack and defense. The idea of hunters ever coming after his kids made his blood boil and his stomach drop. Sasha took his moment being distracted and jumped.

He ended up on his back laughing while his son scent marked him. “I got you, Daddy. I got you” before jumping up and running to hide again. This made Claudia pout a bit. So Stiles decided to turn the tables on her. He put his hands up like claws and started to stalk her. She gave a little giggle scream when he pounced on her. He nuzzled her cheeks and then moved to her tummy blowing a raspberry on it. She laughed for a while then said “I love you Daddy”

“Ahh, I love you too sweetie. You ready for another round?” He asks. She jumps up and runs to hide and stalk him again. He loved helping his kids work of energy. It kept him young looking and trim. Lol, please he was only 25. but it was fun to bond with his kids this way. He knew wolf packs bonded by turning and running. The humans in the pack running with them too. He was bonding like this with Catherine when he met Tyler.

_He dodged to the right to avoid a playful claw swing from Catherine. He responded with a quick jab up missing her head by a hair. She jumped up into the air over him and he ran and tackled her. Laughing hard when they hit the ground. This was a great exercise in control. Trying to get little soft hits on each other while not doing any damage. Stiles had to fight laughing during the exercise. Catherine had a tenancy to tickle him when they were play fighting. She got him under his arms and he had to roll off her and laugh up to the sky._

_“Sorry sorry. I know ticking is cheating. But it's so easy to get you” she laughed breathlessly at him. This was the happiest he had been at college. He had a best friend who he didn't have to lie about anything in his life. He was kicking ass in his classes and he had a job at a local vets office. He felt light and happy for the first time in over a year. So of course that's when Catherine jumps over and licked his face “Catch me if you can” and took of running._

_He takes off after her with a growl. Yes he growls when he's in this mood. He hung out with wolves for a couple years give him a break. He looks up to find Catherine ahead about 50 feet glancing back at him he can her eyes flashing blue at him. He pushes his legs hard to try to catch up. He's almost there when she shifts to the beta tiger form. Now his adrenaline is pumping while he sprints the last couple feet and jumps into her personal space and lands with a leg behind her. Using his momentum he takes her down. She gets a couple good swipes at him on the way down, slicing his sweatshirt. She avoids actually cutting him but how he moves would have made the cuts shallow even with her trying to hurt him. But he ends with his knife about to jab into her heart._

_“ Good try. You would have had be bleeding out, but I would have had your heart” he's panting as he tells her. He might have to get more cardio into his schedule._

_“Oh please, you never would have caught me if I hadn't let you. But good work. You took me down faster then I thought you would. Point for hunter training.” She rolls up and looks down at him smiling._

_This is the dozenth time they've been training, well playing. Catherine tells him that she hasn't had this much fun at college before him. He helps her keep her tiger in check with the extra play fighting. She pulls him up and licks his face again. “ewwww. Would you please stop doing that?” he groans out. She winks and takes off running. This time she isn't being playful. She's trying to full out sprint. He keeps up for a couple minutes but then starts to lag behind._

_This gives him a perfect view of the blur in the corner of his eye that moves inhumanly fast and tackles Catherine. They roll with a couple growls coming from both of them. Stiles moves without thinking. Trusting in the all the hours of Argent training and hours spend fighting and hunting with his first pack. The wolf has Catherine on her back with one clawed hand on her chest and the other in the air about to come down and slash her throat. He grabs the hand in the air and ducks down and slashes the wolf in the side, deep. He can hear a pained whimper but ignores it. Coming and and bracing one leg he kicks out hard, hitting the wolf in the rib he just slashed. The wolf goes down on his side and crap walks backwards from Catherine. Stiles goes to one knee without thinking and jams a blade in the wolfs thigh. The wolf screams out and Stiles hops into the air landing on the wolf with a knee and hand holding the wolf down. His other hand bringing a knife to the wolfs throat with all his weight behind it to cut the wolfs to the bone._

_“Stiles stop!” Catherine calls out. He freezes with the knife to the wolfs throats. He trusts Catherine when she tells him to stop. He really doesn't want to. His instincts are screaming at him to eliminate the threat. “His name is Tyler. He's a wolf. The school is in his families territory.”_

_Stiles knew this area was in a werewolves territory. But the Hales didn't have anything in their records other then a name and area. He knew the pack was the Renolds. But Peter didn't know anything about them. And the only note in the Argents records was that the Renolds pack was huge but had never broken the code. The wolf is currently baring his neck to Stiles and his eyes are glowing golden. So Stiles takes a deep breath and with a growl stands up. The wolf looks kinda sad. “Please don't kill me. I've never hurt anyone. Please please please.”_

_Now Stiles feels like a dick and pulls out the knife in the wolf's thigh. He looks at Catherine and she has a weird look on her face. She signs and goes “Tyler this is Stiles. Stiles this dumass is Tyler. He goes to school here with us. Tyler what the hell are you doing here?”_

_“I was just running some extra energy off and I heard you guys play fighting. I thought I'd join in.” He looks at Stiles with puppy eyes that remind him of Scott. Stiles starts to melt. “I could hear and smell you guys having so much fun. I didn't know he was a hunter. He smells like human and_ _tiger.”_

_Stiles can't keep up his adrenaline so he puts his knives away. “Ok, how about we hike back to my jeep and we can put some clean cloths go to Denny's and we can chat.” Tyler nods his head super fast and agrees with such enthusiasm that Stiles kinda wants to pat him on his head and say Good boy._

_Tyler is objectively insanely hot, tall with black hair and green eyes. A couple days of stubble. And from being on his chest Stiles can honestly say he is rock hard in the muscle department. They hike to his jeep and he gets a consolidated history of Tyler and the Renolds pack. Been in the area for generations. Over a hundred members. Based in the smaller town of Veneta, a small town about 35 minutes outside of Eugene. The territory stretched to the coast on the west side and had the Willamette river on the right. Had tons of acres into a nature preserve. He learned from Tyler that his mom was the Alpha of the pack and Mayor of Veneta. His dad was the Sheriff just like Stiles'. They got to his jeep and Stiles stripped his shirt and sweatshirt off in one pull. He heard Tyler gasp at the sight of all his scars. He looks over and smiles saying “you should see the other guys” laughing._

_He pulls on a clean shirt and hands Tyler a sweatshirt and pants. “sorry dude, no hope your underwear is clean or you're going to go freeball.” Tyler pulls his shirt up and drops his pants. Stiles tries very very hard not to stare. Tyler has the body of a fucking model. Stiles has to fight the urge to clean Tyler's body with his tongue. Glaring at Catherine knowing she can smell his lust. She just laughs and hops into the jeep. “Keep it in your pants Stiles”_

_He turns bright red and gets in the jeep trying not to look Tyler in the eyes. The drive to Denny's is silent. Stiles trying to process all the information he's just received about living in a pack territory. A little part of his scared that he'll have to transfers schools now that they know about him._

_At Denny's he orders a ton of food. The double dose of adrenaline for the night making him ravenous. They all chat about trivial matters, school mostly. Tyler is in one of Stiles' classes. They discuss the teacher assistant and how annoying and power trippy he his. When they get their food Stiles turns the topic to something serious. He knows from his research that there are protocols that are supposed to be in order for a member of one pack to live in the territory of another. He's not pack anymore but he's afraid this Alpha might think he is. Or worse, think he's a Hunter and want him gone. “So Tyler, what do I do now? Do you want me to present myself to your Alpha or am I'm just going to be run out of town?”_

_Tyler looks very confused “what do you mean? Of course you can stay in town. We don't break your code so you don't have to worry about us. Are you really a hunter?” Tylers looks at him with hopeful eyes. God, he really is a puppy._

_“Yes, I was trained to be a hunter.” he pulls out his necklace from his shirt, reavealing his silver bullet. Tyler looks at it like he's not sure what he's looking at. Stiles sighs_ _inside his head. He has a fear that Tyler isn't the smartest. But god is he good looking. And now that they are relaxed and close to each other in a booth. Stiles can smell Tyler. And he smells so good. Stiles wants to bury his face in Tyler’s neck and breath for a while. “And I was in a pack but not anymore.”_

_Tyler looks like he is about to freak out “oh my god, did your pack get killed? Is that why you were trained by hunters? What pack were you in?”_

_Stiles isn't sure how to take all that in, but he pushes through. “No my pack didn't get killed. One of my best friends is a hunter and her dad trained me. And I don't know you well enough to tell you what pack. It's none of your damn business.” ok that might have been to blunt but he really doesn't want to talk about his pack. He'll tell the Alpha, but that's it. Only an Alpha needs the information so only the Alpha was going to be getting it._

_“Well, my mom is coming into town this weekend after the full moon to go to Costco. You can meet her then and she can decide.” Tyler tells him, looking down like Stiles was yelling at him. Now he really felt like a dick. Tyler looked like an average college kid. Stiles gets this weird feeling that of the two of them. He might be scarier then the werewolf._

_“Hmm. I've never seen you fight before Stiles. It was kinda awesome. I know intellectually you were trained to fight. The play fighting we do is one thing, but watching you with Tyler here, you were about to kill him without even thinking about it. What the hell did your pack have to fight off Stiles?” She asks him looking at him thoughtfully. “Some of your PTSD behavior is making a lot more sense now.”_

_She leans in and scent marks him, to the rest of the room just looks like a hug. Tyler looks like he wants to join in. And Stiles can't help thinking what is this guys life about, sunshine and puppies? Maybe this is was most wolves who don't come from broken packs are like. I might have to update some of my notes. The Hale pack after the fire was just Derek and Laura. And the McCall pack is small and very new. “well, good that know you how bad ass I am. Just try to keep your hands off of me. You'll make all the other ladies and guys jealous” he says trying to sound relaxed and confident._

_Tyler practically bounces up and down while he laughs at that. “Ok, let me give you my number and I can get you my address for this weekend. I'm going to drive out and spend the full moon with my pack, but I'll be back in town after that” They exchanged numbers and drive back to campus. Catherine and he joking playfully while Tyler sits in the back. After he drops them both off he gets back to his room. His cell dings “It was great meeting you Stiles. I can't wait to see you again” He stabbed this guy and he's saying it was great to meet him. He might be too nice to be real._

 

After that meeting there were tons of texts and chat and coffees. That was how he met the guy he was about to have a date with. Only a couple years in the making. His life was so different now. He had been so filled with anger that he would have killed Tyler that night. Now he was so glad he didn't.

He told the kids to get washed up for dinner and he want in the kitchen to check on the sauce. Almost perfect. He put on some water for the pasta. He hears Tyler's truck pull up and goes to the door. Tyler is in his cute work cloths. He runs a landscaping company. Stiles can practically smell him.“Hey! I was running late and didn't have time to stop at home. But I did bring beer.”

“Come on in then. You're offering of beer is satisfactory to gain entry to this house. I hope you're hungry, I'm making a ton of pasta” he leaves the door open for Tyler and goes to check on the food again. He can feel Tyler come up behind him and drag his nose along the back of Stiles' neck. This should be a good date.


	6. date time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After the flashback there are sexy times. if you don't like that skip that part.

Tyler moved away from Stiles with a blush on his cheeks. When he heard the giggles he understood why. His two little balls of energy came running into the room to jump on Tyler.

“Uncle Tyler. Daddy didn't say you were coming. I misseded you.” Sasha told him speaking way to fast to make total sense. But Stiles got most of it. “Well, Daddy and I wanted to spend some time together. So he asked me to come over for dinner.” Tyler picks up the twins and puts them in their chairs. He even knows which one goes where. Stiles watches and thinks he's kind of amazing. When the kids were born Tyler took to being their Uncle so naturally. His pack was huge so there were always lots of kids around. He and Catherine wouldn't have had any sleep that first year if Tyler hadn't been there. He was the only one who could have pulled Stiles out of his sadness when Catherine was killed in a car accident.

Stiles still couldn't believe it. In a world where there were-tigers, werewolves, hunters and all the other insane things Stiles had seen and fought it was a drunk driver that kills his best friend and mother of his kids. They had never planned on the kids. But with slutty ways comes kids. They were the best thing that had ever happened to him. Tyler sighs and looks up at him. Stiles shakes his head and tries to think about happy things. He doesn't want a bad mood to ruin the evening. That is the one big problem of having so many supernatural beings in your life. They can usually smell your mood. And telling them you're fine never works. So eh tries to think about how hot Tyler is and how good he looks with his kids. He sits down with the food and starts to serve up the kids. Winking at Tyler he hands him his food.

“So how was your day?” “It was good. We are digging park out on Main street. Next summer they're going to do a movie in the park night once a week there, so we're making it look a little bit like an amphitheater. Thank god my team is all wolves the work is kicking our ahhhh.. bottoms” Tyler turns red and his eyes bulged out for a second.

“Haha. Good save. It's ok. I drops the a bomb sometimes when they're around. I don't think they know how fun it is to curse yet. But a new park will be nice. Next summer will be fun. We'll have to get some cute movies to watch. Hmm, I'll have to research what movies we can view for free. Or with only a tiny fee. I'll get in touch with your mom and work some things out with her” Stiles tells Tyler who looks at him with a tilt of his head. “What?”

“Nothing. I'll tell you after we put the kids to bed. What did the kids do today?” Tyler asks. “We got to play outside. Mr's Carol taught us to plant flowers. Daddy can we plant flowers here? They smelleded good.” Claudia asks him. Sasha nodding his head along with Claudia. “Hmm. Sure we can. Did daddy ever tell you how his mommy used to have a big garden when I was your age? Well Grandma used to have a ton of roses and lots of smelly herbs. Maybe we can stop by the garden center this weekend after we run to Costco. See what types of plants they have. A couple small ones will be nice. And maybe some pots. If we're really lucky maybe Uncle Tyler will be nice and help us. Maybe if we ask him really nicely.” he says “he'll do some of the hard work for us.”

“Please Uncle Tyler. Please.” Sasha drops from his chair and walks over and climbs up into Tyler's lap. “please helps us with flowers. Daddy is always so happy when you're here”

Stiles tries not to blush. But it's true. Tyler has become his new best friend. He always forgets that Sasha might not be as aggressive as Claudia but there was a very observant mind in there. He looks up and smiles at Tyler. Who is looking at him with this open happy look. It makes Stiles a little uncomfortable. “Ok. I think we're all done with dinner now. If you two want dessert you'll have to sniff it out. Daddy hit two cookies in the house for you. If you find them you can eat them. Ok, go find them while daddy and uncle Tyler clean up.” with little squeals of glee his kids take off.

“Remember if you make a mess you'll have to clean it up before you eat the cookie” he calls after them.

He gets “we won't” in stereo from them. Tyler laughs and helps him clear the table. They move with the familiarity of old friends. After the table is clean and the food put away they move to the living room and get a movie ready for the kids to watch. The twins walk in holding their cookies. They climb up on the couch and sit in Stiles and Tyler's laps. “Daddy hid a cookie in his closet.” Claudia tells Tyler showing him her cookie.

“I founded mine first” Sasha cuddles down into Stiles chest and starts to eat his. Stiles hid the other cookie in the laundry room. He was impressed with how fast Sasha found it with all the competing scents in the laundry room. He kisses Sasha's head and says “Good job both of you. You're going to be super tigers when you grow up.”

Tyler gives him a funny face so Stiles sticks his tongue out at him. They settle down with the kids and watch something about princesses and some music and it's so sweet Stiles can feel the diabetes trying to get him. After an hour the kids are both out. Stiles and Tyler carry the kids to bed. Stiles kisses and scent marks both of the kids.

They move back out to the living room and sit on the couch. “Ok what was the face earlier? It's been killing me” he jumps on Tyler and pins him down. “Tell me, tell me, tell me”

Tyler laughs and bares his neck to Stiles. “Ok. Well you were saying how you would help my mom with research. I was just remembering the first time you two met. You showed up armed for a blood bath.”

“It wasn't that bad I was just being cautious.” Stiles tries to defend himself.

“Dude. You showed up to my apartment with two guns, three wolvesbane knives and 4 extra clips of bullets. When you walked in we could smell the wolvesbane. I had seen you around campus the week before that and you seemed so average. Really cute, but average. Then you walked into my apartment and you looked so scary and dangerous. I could see you moved to keep all of us in your view and when my mom ordered you to remove your weapons you laughed at her. I don't think anyone has ever laughed at one of her orders before. You told her to have everyone flash their eyes first and then you might take off the guns but she wasn't going to touch the knives. After we did you took out a gun from behind your back and one out of your ankle. I've never really been around guns, my dad has one but he keeps it locked up.”

“Well. We came to an agreement. You guys didn't hunt me and I wouldn't hunt you. I thought it was a pretty easy treaty. You're mom was kinda scary to be honest. I've only met a couple Alphas and most of them were assholes or crazy. So I didn't have a ton of good experiences with other Alphas” Neither one of them discuss how crappy Scott had been to kick him out of the pack. “But she seemed so normal. By the end of the talk I actually really liked her. She was calm and seemed completely rational which was kinda new for me. Actually, she reminded me of the stories I've heard of Talia Hale. Bad ass yet nice.”

“You know she didn't trust you for a while? She kept thinking that you were going to kill me in my sleep. She didn't even like that you were in our territory. And now you're planning on helping her with a civil project for the town. It's just really weird to me.” Tyler looked super sweet with a dopey smile on his face.

“Wait. When did she start to trust me? Cause now like once a month she officially asks me to join the pack” Stiles asked.

“Well. When you killed those hunters protecting my sister. You scared the crap out of her. But she started to think you wouldn't go on a killing spree.” Tyler explained. “Hmm. That was actually pretty cool” Stiles smiles. “Your world scares me sometimes” Tyler tells him.

_Stiles was closing up at his vet job. Working with going to classes was exhausting. It was super late. He locked up the doors and started to head to his jeep. It was so quiet he could hear the only couple people still up moving around. Other then the vet office there were a couple cafes, a bakery and a couple accounting offices around. He could see a young women, maybe a couple years older then him walking towards him on the sidewalk. Behind her he could see two men, one who he definitely recognized. One of Gerard Argents rogue hunters. Dammit. Now he knew who that women was. Sarah Renold, Tyler's older sister. He had seen her picture on Tyler's phone. Dammit dammit dammit. She was only two blocks away. Stiles had to plan quickly, luckily that was one of his major talents._

_Stiles got his phone out and acted like he was making a phone call “Sarah Renolds. I need you you listen to me. I know who and what you are. The two men behind you are hunters. If you want this to end well I need you to do what I say. Cough a couple times if you understand.” Stiles waits till he hears her cough. “Good. Now I need you to walk towards me. Don't let them know I'm talking to you. When you get to me I need you to wolf out and slammed against the wall. Then run into the alleyway behind me. There is a fence half way down, get on the other side of it. They won't be able to climb it. Then I can take care of the.” Sarah was a block away when he finished telling her what to do._

_He kept acting like he was on the phone till she got up to him and then she did as he told to her to. She wolfed out and grabbed him and threw him against the wall. For a second he could see stars then she was growling and running away. The hunters took off past him to follow her and Stiles got up and reached behind his back. He always went armed when he could. Moving fast and silently he got behind the hunters till they got to the fence they would both cursing and trying to get over it. Stiles placed his feel apart and aimed. Putting two bullets in each hunter. They both went down._

_The hunter who he recognized saw him. Stiles kicked away his gun. “If it isn't the wolf fucker. Always on their side” blood poured out of his mouth and he stopped breathing._

_Dammit. This was not his day. He should have called in sick. Looking up he aims his gun at the next sound he hears. It's Sarah on the other side of the fence. Her eyes glowing gold. Ok, so not a killer. Good to know. She also looks terrified. “Ok, come on. Help me get these two inside the office._

_He turns and unlocks the doors to the veterinarian office. He picks up one of the hunters and uses his leg to get the door open. Moving inside he thanks any god that might be listening that there aren't any cameras in the alley or office. Only in the front lobby. He puts the body on a table and goes to help Sarah._

_Who seems to be really freaked out by the dead body. Sighing he goes and gets that one too. Even more thankful that he has been hitting the gym a lot this month. “I'm sorry. I've just never seen anyone get killed before. I know my mom has done it a couple times, but the only challenges I've seen have been just till she beat someone down.” She looks like she's in shock so Stiles gets her a cup of tea from the break area. And tells her to call her mom._

_He takes a couple pictures of the hunters and calls Christ Argent. Oh thank god it goes to voicemail. “Hey Chris. I just killed two of Gerard's hunters. I'll send you their pics so you know which ones. Just wanted to give you a heads up. Tell the pack hi for me.” He hangs up. Sarah is looking at him like she has no idea how to handle him. Wow, this pack really was boring._

_“My parents are on their way. Tyler is coming too. Thank you. I could smell the wolvesbane on them, but I didn't know what do do.” “_

_It's no problem. This one helped kidnap me when I was 16 and beat the crap out of me. Stopping him was like a double rainbow.” they wait until Alpha Renolds shows up. By then Stiles has already put one of the hunters into the incinerator they have for deceased animals for cremations. He makes sure he searches the body first._

_“Oh my god, Sarah. Are you Ok?” Patricia Renolds comes in the back way he told her to. She grabs Sarah and pulls her close. She holds her for a while then turns and suddenly Stiles is being hugged by a crying Alpha. A situation Stiles has no experience with. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You saved our baby girl. “_

_“No problem. This one was an ass. Shooting him was a pleasure.” He nods his head towards the hunter on the table. “I've already contacted some hunters to see if these guys were on anyone orders or just being jerks. But last time I heard they were both rogue, so no one is going to mind they are gone.”_

_They all go out to a diner and get food. He tells them all about his history. Best friend a wolf and alpha. Dated one of the betas. Kicked out of the pack. Now friends with a tiger. Alpha Renolds hugs him multiple times throughout the night._

Stiles shakes his head coming out of that memory. Looking down at Tyler still laying under him.

 

“Hmm. I think that's enough talking about your mom. I think we should go get you cleaned up. You have worked all day.” he pull Tyler close and kisses him. Tyler reaches around him and hugs him. They make out while stripping their way down the hall to his bedroom. He nibbles his way down Tyler's neck making the wolf whimper and pant. He's going to have fun taking the wolf apart. They get just inside his room and he has Tyler against his door. He goes to his knees and takes Tyler’s pants down releasing his cock. Tyler is big and perfect. “Stiles” Tyler gasps as he takes him in his mouth. Working him down his throat. “I..I..Oh god that feels good. Please Stiles.”

“Shhhh. I have you. It's ok.” he wraps his hand around the base of Tylers cock and start to suck and lick like his life depends on it. With his other hand he holds Tyler still so he can't move. He looks up and meets Tylers eyes. They are burning gold and Tyler looks desperate now.

“you can cum when you want to baby. It's ok.” Now Tyler is panting loudly and whimpering. Stiles can feel he's close. His cock is twitching and getting harder. Then he tastes it. Tyler is moaning and letting go in Stiles' mouth. He loves how Tyler tastes. He swallows and goes up and kisses Tyler. His eyes are still glowing. He's making whiny sounds into Stiles' mouth. Stiles walks him backwards to the bathroom still kissing him. He strips the rest of his cloths off and takes off Tylers pants. They fall slightly into the shower. They soap up each other a little bit. Stiles turns Tyler face to the wall and pushes his body against it.

Stiles nibbles and bites his way down Tyler's back. He pulls back and just looks at Tyler's ass. It's perfect. Light dusting of dark black hair on two perfect rock hard globes. Stiles pulls the hard cheeks apart and shoves his face into the tight cleft. He traces his tongue around Tyler's hole. He can hear Tyler whimpering and groaning out incoherent words. He starts to lick and nibble at Tyler's tight hole like he's starving for it. He looks up and can see that his wolf is starting to lose control. His nails are getting longer and the hair on his face is getting more pronounced.

“that's ok baby. Let your wolf out. You're safe with me baby” He dives back in and licks and licks until Tyler is making little sobbing sounds. Kissing his way up Tyler's back he gets a bottle of lube he keeps in there for private time. He lubes up his cock.

“You want it? You want my cock in your tight hole?” he taunts Tyler with the tip of his cock. Tyler comes undone “Please Stiles. Please fuck me.” “Such a good boy. So good for me. Letting me fuck your tight ass” He starts to push in slowly. Wrapping one arm around Tyler's chest.

Pulling him close and shoving deep. Tyler is fulling in beta form now. Panting and whimpering against the wall. Stiles leans forward trapping his arm in between Tyler and the wall. His other arm wraps around and he starts to jack off Tyler. “not gonna last long Stiles. Oh god it feels so good” Stiles starts to fuck harder and and deeper. He can feel the Tyler's body twitching more and more. His own orgasm is getting close so he lets good and just starts to talk dirty. “such a good wolf. Taking my cock raw. Wish I had a knot so I could lock myself deep inside you. Fill you with my cubs, breed you deep” He feels Tyler's cock go rock hard and his body clench around Stiles. He fucks Tyler through his orgasm. He feels his own coming and bites down hard on Tyler's shoulder filling Tyler with his cum. He comes down and kisses and lick at the bite mark. Caressing and calming Tyler. They pull apart and Stiles pulls Tyler in for slow after sex kissing. They wash up and get into bed. He holds Tyler close.

 

“Stiles. I know you're in a weird situation. And our lives don't exactly match up. But I want you to know when it comes to committing. I'm in. Like, all in. We can go slow with the emotion part. But you're my best friend. And I want any type of relationship you're comfortable with.” Tyler relaxes into his arms.

“Thank you Tyler. You're my best friend. And I like you too. I'm not sure how fast I can go into the love part, but there is love here. I want you to know that. Now go to sleep. We both have work in the morning.” he pulls Tyler close and nuzzles his neck. He loves marking Tyler with his scent.

 

 

BZZZZ BZZZZ. Stiles jerks awake. He cell is buzzing. “what is it? Someone better be dying or I'm going to be pissed” “Ahh, Stiles. Something has happened. It's you're dad. He's been shot” He can hear the sadness in Melisa McCalls voice.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is in the Sheriff's pov. I hope it explains a little of why he joined the pack.

John Stilinski was a good man. He had made many, too many to list mistakes in his life. He had leaned to hard on his son after his wife's death. Coming home to find dinner and the bills paid by your son is a humbling memory. The three greatest mistakes were allowing Stiles to lie to him when dead bodies started to show up all over town when he knew his son knew what was going on and didn't make him fess up. The second was not believe his son when he told him about werewolves. He wishes he could have listen to him, but it sounded so crazy. Karma bit him in the ass when he was kidnapped and stuck in a hole with Chris Argent and Melisa McCall.

The third big mistake was listening to Derek fucking Hale instead of kicking the living crap out of him. John had never been a huge fan of Derek. But he knew how deeply his son cared for him. And he could see that affection and love returned by Derek. It was just that he didn't really think Derek was the right one for his son. To be completely honest he though that Derek was damaged goods. He had lost his family. Then come back to Beacon Hills and lost the last of his family and then had to lead a group of teens. Which was still creepy when he thought about it too much. So he tried not to. When Derek broke up with Stiles and he was forced out of the pack, John didn't really know what that meant.

He and Stiles had kept a pretty strong boundary around the pack business and their lives. John wanted to know the big life threatening stuff. But not the smaller stuff, he found if Stiles overloaded him with all the information about the pack, like wolf culture, hunter culture and all the terrifying things that were going to want to hunt his child, he found he had a desire to grab Stiles and move out of state. Which he sometimes feels was his fourth greatest mistake. Not leaving to help save his son.

Instead his son ran with wolves. His son would come home from hunts sore and tired with scrapes and bloody cloths, he knew his son hid the most scary wounds from him. But he loved that his son came to him afterwards and he could actually know what was going on his life. He didn't know how binding the ties that bond a pack together are, even for the humans in a pack. He only joined the pack to help Melisa and Chris. They were the parents and he felt obligated to help them, he loved Scott like a son and being there for him felt natural while his one son was away at school. It had never occurred to him how much losing the pack had hurt Stiles until he had become a part of it. The summer before college Scott still hung out with Stiles so he hadn't known what was different. He had just thought that Stiles' moodiness was from Derek and him breaking up. It was only a couple weeks of Stiles being gone when he found a crying Derek in Stiles bed.That's when everything went batshit crazy. And for living in a city with a wolf pack. That's saying something.

_He walks into Stiles room and finds a sobbing Derek hugging Stiles' pillow. “Derek. What the hell are you doing here? In Stiles' room?_

_“Sheriff I miss him so much. I just wanted to be around his scent.” Derek looks like he's about to break down sobbing again. Which John does not want._

_Sigh. “Ok. Downstairs in five. Cry, get it out, then get downstairs. I'm calling Scott. You two have been acting like kicked puppies that past month.” he turns to head to the kitchen. He's going to need a drink for this. He takes out his phone and calls Scott “Ok Scott. I've found Derek sobbing in Stiles' room. Get your wolfy ass over here. I'm done with this whole thing you and Derek are doing. You're going to explain it to me. Now.”_

_Scott shows up and Derek comes downstairs still looking like he might cry. He takes a long drink of his whiskey. “Ok you two. Start talking. Cause this thing is making you all miserable and mostly it's making my son upset. So start” Scott looks scared and Derek takes a deep breath and looks him in the eye._

_“Sheriff. I told Stiles I loved him, and I do and always will. But that weekend he spent at my house. It was the best of my life, but after Stiles fell asleep I counted all the scars on his body. He had 87 scars. Some of them from life threatening wounds. I just kept looking at the mating bite I gave him and realized I couldn't do it. I couldn't love him and still have him be in danger all the time. So I asked Scott to kick him out of the pack. It's all my fault.” There are tears openly going down his cheeks._

_Scott speaks up “We just wanted him to see if he could have a normal life. So he could go to college and not worry about the pack” He really does look like a puppy._

_John sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose trying to fight the stress headache that is forming “so you humiliated him in front of all the people he loves, broke his heart, cut him off from knowing anything about the pack, made him feel like all the work he did becoming basically a soldier was for nothing. Good job boys. Did it ever occur to you to sit him down and say hey Stiles, maybe you should take a break from the pack and give college a try. Instead you break him. Great.” The boys both look ready to die. “So here is what we're going to do. Scott keep talking with and when he comes home for break you're going to beg for his forgiveness and Derek, you're going to stay the hell away from my son until you get some serious therapy. I'm not joking. You clearly have some issues you need to work through before you can be any good for Stiles. You can keep sleeping in his bed just get yourself some help. Just both of you, pull your heads out of your asses.”_

After that Melisa had asked him to come to pack meetings and he had. It was great to have people to talk to and he realized how lonely his boy must feel. Then the whole Christmas thing had happened. It was like the fates were trying to mess up everything. Now he was just happy that Stiles was regularly talking to him. He looked down at his phone. He really wanted the twins to have a party here. He wanted to show Stiles how much everyone missed him. But he wasn't sure that would ever happen now. Stiles had kids and a new werewolf best friend, who John was pretty sure he was sleeping with. Even out of the state Stiles still managed to be around a pack. It was the weirdest thing. Now he just wanted his boy to come home. He goes about his day trying keep a reign on his desire to punch Derek. The boy has been doing much better. He went a little slutty right after Stiles left. He would go out with the younger deputies and they would tease him the next day about going home with someone. It looked like he had been drying to drown his sorrows in random sex.

Now he was trying to just be alone for a while. He got to the end of his shift and stopped by the store. Where a man who seemed to be high on meth was waving gun. Great. He got his gun out and tried to calm the man. But it didn't work. He could feel the bullets hit him in the chest. The last thing he could think was “I want my boy to come home”.


	8. Chapter 8

Derek was looking at a man who he though of as his father. The news of the shooting had moved quickly through the pack. He was at the hospital within minutes of the shooting. He was looking through the small window into the room they had the Sheriff in. He could feel a level of desperation he hadn't feel in a years. It had broken his heart when he had broken Stiles'. But after time the Sheriff had let him in, gain a little bit of the family feeling he had had, and the pack was strong again. He wasn't sure he could survive the Sheriff's death. He hadn't have anyone looking out for him in years. Laura had tried, but after the fire they would both so broken that just staying alive had been a valid goal. Healing was a little beyond what they were capable of doing.

Years in New York had helped them bond with each other but they were still a broken pack. Losing her had nearly killed him. The only thing that helped him survive was meeting Stiles. That spastic teen was literally the best thing to happen to him. He had fought every urge to take him for years. He had come back after the Alpha pack had been dealt with. Cora was safe with new pack. And Scott was an idiot but he tended to listen to Stiles so he was making most good choices. The pack had fought and killed every intruder for almost two years before Stiles' turned 18. His inner wolf had been proud every time that Stiles had helped in battle or outsmarted an enemy. His mate was perfect for him.

_Stiles was covered in sweat and panting with his whole body arched around Derek's cock. He kept staring at his mating bite, bright red against Stiles' pale skin. They had been fucking all weekend long. He had a few hours before he had to take Stiles back to his dads house. The first couple times he had been gentle and loving. Stiles had begged for it harder, but he wanted to be good since Stiles was a virgin._

_The third time he fucked Stiles into the mattress. Stiles had bared his throat to Derek and he has lost control and leaned in and bit down hard with his wolf teeth. Stiles had whimpered and cum without touching himself. His wolf had howled at making his mate feel so much pleasure. The taste of his mate's blood and the smell of his cum was intoxicating. He thrust hard and fast filling his mate with his cum. Stiles made some mewling noises, blissed out of his mind. Derek came down from his orgasm licking at his bite mark. Now Stiles was bouncing up and down on Derek’s cock. He was in his beta form trying to keep control of himself. Stiles was begging for his knot. He was helping Stiles go deeper holding clawed hands around Stiles waist trying not to dig his claws into this weak flesh. His wolf wanted to see his marks on his boy. He could feel his orgasm closing in, his knot starting to form. He would have to pull off of Stiles soon. Then his knot started to catch on the rim of Stiles. The noises suddenly coming from his mate made his wolf howl._

_“Please Derek. Please. Want to be yours. Make me yours. Fill me with your knot. Please please please” Stiles was chanting his eyes desperate and pleading with him. Derek moved a hand up to Stiles shoulder and squeezed his waist with the other, growling deep in his throat he slams Stiles down onto his rapidly forming knot. “Thank you thank you. Mate, mine, love.” Stiles isn't coherent. He knows his knot must be rubbing against Stiles' prostate. His body is limp and perfect in his arms. The wolf is happy that his mate trusts him to take care of him on his knot. He can smell how close Stiles is, he thrusts up a couple times angling himself on Stiles sweet spot. Then Stiles is screaming out and shooting all over painting their chest and stomachs, a volley even hits Derek in the face. Stiles clenches down on Derek's knot making him flood his mate with his release. He trows his head back and howls for joy at claiming_ _his mate. He keep slowly filling his mate, kissing and licking his bite, stroking his hands up and down Stiles back. After a few minutes Stiles starts to come back down_

_“Thank you Derek. I've never felt this happy. Thank you. I love you.” his words are slurred together. He is actually drunk on pleasure. Derek growls happily. Stiles starts to lean towards him closer, moving on the instinct of someone who spends far to much time with wolves. He turns Derek's head with his nose and bites down hard on Derek's neck. Derek finds himself whimpering and making high pitched needy sounds. He cums again at the smell of his blood mixed with the smell of Stiles. He knows the bite on his neck will scar. His wolf is practically purring happily, fully sated and fulfilled by his mate. “Never leave me Stiles. Be mine forever” Derek whimpers._

_“I love you Derek. I'll never leave you. Never” He can hear the truth in his mates words. He kisses and pets his mate. He lets Stiles fall sleep on his knot. Waiting for it to go down. He slides out slowly when it does. The smell of his cum inside Stiles makes him want to go again. But he knows Stiles needs a break. He goes to the kitchen for a glass of water and just watches his mate sleep._

_Noticing all the marks on his body. Remember every injury of how they were formed, the three stab marks from hunters, the dozens of claw marks from wolves invading their territory. There were the fiery burns from the pixies who got a hold of Stiles for a couple hours. Tears in Stiles skin from rope from hunters. He starts to panic at all the wounds his mate has survived. How many more can he bare. The bottom drops out of his stomach. He can't bare to see anymore on his mate, his mate needs to go far away for college. He can't lose anything else in his life. He can't let his mate stay. He has to leave. And live. He has to leave. He will make his mate leave, even if he hates him._

He looks at the man who he considers his father in law. The man looks pale. The doctors are trying to keep him alive. But he can hear his heartbeat. It's still going. The pack is waiting for news. He goes to the lobby to give them an update.

He is kinda proud of himself. At 30 he is a Sheriff's Deputy. He had started rebuilding his families house. He's gotten the preserve back from the county. He almost a real boy now. Scott has grown into a real Alpha and he enjoys his role in supporting his Alpha. Years of therapy after the Sheriff yelled at him brought him to some profound life changes. He had to find a new anchor and let go of his anger. The love he felt for Stiles became his new anchor and even though he hadn't seen him in years. It was even stronger now.

He hated that his mate had had pups, ah kids, with someone else. The Sheriff had told him that Stiles loved this girl. But they only referred to each other as best friends. When she was killed Scott and Isaac had to pin him down to keep him from driving up to make sure Stiles was ok. The idea of his mate being in pain and losing someone made him almost mad with the need to be with his mate.

When the Sheriff had come home spending time with Stiles and the twins the smell of wolves was all over him. He admitted that Stiles' new best friend was a wolf named Tyler. And that he was going to be moving to a town for work and was friends with the pack there. He knew Stiles wouldn't go with another pack. But it still hurt him knowing that other wolves got to be around his mate.

But he was determined to become the person he mate deserved. When he had claimed his mate he wasn't ready to be with anyone forever. He still had wounds to heal from, Paige, Kate and his family, Peter, and Jennifer when he claimed Stiles. They were mostly healed now.

He had tried to find solace in random strangers, meeting men and women at bars. Taking them home and fucking them senseless. But none of them were his mate. He was ashamed of his behavior now. He had been good for over a year. He had been afraid his wolf would want to find a new mate, but it still considered Stiles his mate. Willing to wait until his mate came home. He got to the lobby and told them about the Sheriff. He was in surgery and they weren't sure of the damage yet. They all looked at Melisa. Knowing she would be the only one who Stiles would listen to. She got her phone out and called him. It was late at night and Derek hoped Stiles would pick up the phone.

“What? If some one isn't dead or dying I will end you” He could hear his mates voice. He fought back making little whining noises. His mate sounded so perfect. The other wolves in the room were clearly listening. Scott was making his kicked puppy face.

Melisa takes a deep breath “Stiles sweetie. It's your dad. He's been shot” Derek can hear the pain in her voice.

“What? What happened?” Stiles voice broke. Derek wanted to cry. His mate was so sad.

“He was shot. A man was holding up a cashier and you're dad tried to stop him. He was shot twice in the chest. The doctors have him in surgery right now. We don't know anything else.” Melisa says in a soothing been a medical professional for years voice. “I will let you know the second something changes.”

“Breath Stiles” A voice he doesn't know comes over the speaker. He growls and then whines, someone is in bed with his mate. Scott flashes his red eyes and Derek relaxes. He can't freak out now.

“No. I'm ok. I'm ok. Ummmm, I'm awake now. Thank you Melisa. I have to get some bags packed and food for the twins. Crap, I have a couple busy days ahead. I'll have to call Barbara and have her cancel everything.” Stiles starts to sound more sure of himself. Derek is proud his mate is so good in a crisis.

“I”ll take care of that Stiles. Don't worry. Just shower and get the bags ready and I'll get the cubs ready for a drive.” The unknown man says. His voice is soothing and calm. Derek wants to rip him apart, the idea of another wolf touching his mates pups, ah kids, so easily makes his claws ache to come out. “I'll tell Barbara to cancel your week and we'll come later in the week. Probably tomorrow to see you.”

“Thank you Tyler. Thanks Melisa. I'll head out today and get there as soon as I can. Call when you can” and his mate hangs up. He keeps listening for anything about the Sheriff. But he can't help feeling a little burst of happiness. His mate was coming home.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Stiles' point of view.

Stiles was trying not to freak out. He buried his face in Tyler's neck. Just breathing in the smell of wolf. After years of not being in a pack he still was calmed by the smell of wolf. Tyler just let him lean onto him for as long as he needed. He wanted to fall back asleep with the smell of wolf in his nose, but he took a deep breath and pushed Tyler away.

“You grab a shower and wake up and I'll get some food ready for the cubs. You can pack a bag of cloths for you and them and be out of here in 40 minutes. Ummm, just don't scrub too hard. Please?” Tyler offers.

Stiles rolls his eyes and huffs as he gets into a shower, stupid werewolves and there stupid scent marking. Tyler wanted him to smell like him when he was around Derek. It was kinda hot knowing Tyler was jealous but Stiles didn't belong to him. Scrubbing his body fast he made sure to turn the water extra hot to wake him up. Toweling off he puts on some jeans and a tee. Getting out a suitcase he throws in some jeans a couple tees a sweatshirt or two and makes sure one suit and tie is in a garment bag in case of the worst. He goes to the living room and packs up his cell charger and laptop to get some work done while he's gone.

Tyler has sausages and eggs almost ready. He grabs a bit from the pan. He goes to the twins room and wakes them up “come on cubs. Time to get up.”

Claudia of course starts to whine“Daddy. I don't want to get up. Still sleepy.” She pushes his hand away and rolls over.

He shakes her shoulder a tiny bit. “Hehe. Get up sleepy bones. Uncle Tyler is making breakfast then we're going to go on a road trip to see Grandpa.” He knows this will wake them up. They've never been to Grandpa's house. Claudia wakes all the way up and gives him a look like she thinks he's joking. She is so her mother's daughter

. “Daddy. That's silly. Grandpa comes here. We don't go to Grandpa's” she says likes it's the only way things are supposed to happen.

“I know sweetie. But Grandpa called daddy and I want to see him. So we're going to go surprise Grandpa. So get up, go get in your spots and Uncle Tyler will get you fed while Daddy packs a bag for you two. Now up ragamuffins.” he tickles both of their tummies to make sure they are up and laughing. They run out of the room giggling and calling for Tyler.

He goes about the room looking for their things. Packing up cloths then moving to the bathroom to get toiletries for the cubs. They only like one type of toothpaste. He keeps focusing on getting things for the drive so he won't have to think abou this dad. His dad in the hospital. His dad in the hospital fighting to live in a world where he thinks his son hates him. Don't panic. Deep breath he tells himself. He packs a couple dvd's for the ride. Hopefully with full bellies the cubs will sleep most of the way.

He goes into the kitchen kissing the tops of the kids head as he goes by them. Tyler hands him a large cup of coffee. He thanks him by leaning in rubbing his cheek to Tyler's. The kids giggle at this. Tigers might not run in packs, but all weres liked to touch more then normal humans. It was just a level of communication for them. They eat fast and actually get the car loaded within the time frame they set. Stiles makes sure to have a couple blades on him and grab his hunting bag in case things go bad. Beacon Hills had been quiet for years so he was hoping he wouldn't need it. They get the kids in their seats and put on an episode of Doctor Who. They are truly his kids. They are geeks. He loads the last bit of stuff into the car.

Tyler grabs him and whines in the back of this throat and starts to rub his face all over Stiles' face and neck, rubbing his hands up and down his back and finally moving Stiles shirt to look at Derek's bite, he growls and licks it. Moving quickly away he turns bright red.

“Sorry, I just kept thinking about you seeing him and I freaked out”

“It's ok. You're a wolf. You wanted to mark your territory” he says making his eyebrows move up and down comically. “Here's a key, you can go back to sleep and get up in a couple hours. By then I should know more. Just tell Barbara she can stay at the office to man the phone lines or maybe I can get Dr Smith to actually show up. Since he officially owns the practice. Hasn't been in for almost 4 months. You're mom has Scott's phone number right? If not call me and I'll get it to her. She shouldn't bring more them 5 wolves with her. Just to be on the safe side” He realizes he babbling but he can't stop.

“Stiles! I know. Just drive safely and call me when you can. You know I'm here for you.” God Tyler is amazing. Stiles wishes he loved him. But he just so nice. Yes that's an issues. And yes he knows he's fucked up. “Just keep me updated and don't get into an accident. If you feel like you might panic, pull over and get the cubs some food.”

“You're too good for me. You know that? Far to nice for me” he hugs Tyler close and gets in the car. Pulling out feels very final. He's going to Beacon Hills again. He hasn't been there since he got the last of his stuff when he moved. This is going to be freaky. The first hour of the drive is quiet. The kids watch tv and sit in a food coma. He knows he'll have to find a place with a jungle gym soon to get let the kids blow off some energy. The trip normally takes 6 hours, but with stops it'll probably be closer to 8. It's going to be a long day. He makes a couple starbuck stops for coffee.

After three hours the kids are whining about food so he googles a park close by. He goes through a drive in for food and they hit the park. He reminds the kids that they can't let their tigers out. They both sigh at the stupidity of their daddy “We know daddy. We aren't stupid” Claudia rolls her eyes at him. He gets out the food and they eat at a picnic table.

Afterwards he chases them around playing wolf and hunter. He knows it's a little bit racist, but his kids think wolves are a little bit stupid. So they make fun of them. “Oh no, daddies a hunter. He's going to get us. Run Sasha” Claudia yells as they take off across the grass. He runs trying to catch them. They run for almost half an hour. He only catches them twice. When they get back in the car the kids are happy and giggly. He keeps smiling at them in the mirror.

He doesn't want to wreck the mood but he doesn't want the kids to be surprised when they get to Beacon Hills since they'll be going straight to the hospital. “Oh kids. You know how Grandpa is the Sheriff and gets bad guys?” they both make noises of agreement. “Well a bad guy did something bad and now Grandpa has some ouchies that need kisses to make better.”

Sasha looks very upset “Is Grandpa going to visit mommy in heaven?”

Oh god. Now he feels like crap. “No sweetie. Grandpa is just in the hospital. We're going to go make sure he's ok.” He is so thankful they can't tell when he's lying yet.

They both look upset so he puts on another dvd hoping they'll sleep the rest of the way. He keeps reaching back and grabbing their feet so they know he's close. The hours go by fast. He starts to see signs that he's getting close. He keeps doing breathing exercises to keep from freaking out. He wonders if the twins will remember everyone. They haven't seen anyone other then his dad since his graduation. That was one of the weirdest days of his life. Catherine had been dead for 6 months and the twins were only a year old.

_Stiles was bouncing from foot to foot. He hadn't seen the whole pack in years. Tyler had given him a heads up that Scott had asked permission for the whole pack to come see Stiles graduate. Stiles hated admitting it but he was really happy to see everyone. Well not Derek. But since Catherine had died he had felt the loss of family very acutely. He had only really bonded with Tyler. He had acquaintances at school but no other close friends. Having the pack here was really nice, in a horrifying way. The twins loved climbing on their grandpa. And Uncle Scott, Aunt Allison, Uncle Isaac and Aunt Melisa. He had been very unsure of how everything would go, but they were all very civil. No one brought up pack business and let him be the star of the weekend. Tyler avoided him to keep the peace. He had met the Sheriff but not the rest of them. The Renolds pack was going to stay in Veneta for the weekend. They had already had a party for Stiles the weekend before. It had been a blast. He had drank too much and plowed Tyler so long and hard that Tyler came 4 times. He was dam proud of that. He was sitting in the sea of other graduates. He had completed his undergrad and veterinary medical degree in 5 years. He didn't really know any of the people he was graduating with, it reminded him that he was different. He kept looking up to the stands to see his dad taking pictures next to a beaming pack. Lydia and Aiden, Danny and Ethan, Allison and Scott and Isaac, and Melisa. Holding both of the twins. The family he hadn't seen in years. He made sure to make his eyes go past Derek without flinching. When they called his name and he walked across the stage to get his double diplomas he could hear them all yelling for him and laughing. He felt so proud of himself. He was one of only 10 people graduating today with multiple degrees at once._

_After the ceremony he had a bbq at his house. He put the kids down for a nap and walked to the living room where the whole pack was relaxing. Scott handed him a beer._

_“So Stiles. What are you going to do now that you are done with school. If the office you've been working at going to offer you a job?” Melisa asks. Everyone gets quiet waiting for the answer. “I know that Deaton would take you on as a partner if you moved back to Beacon Hills.”_

_“Ah well. I got a job offer in a small town close to here. It's a doctor who is getting on in years and I would get to take over the practice in a year or two.” He tells them. All of there faces drop. If Deaton wanted him to work there he could have called him a year ago. “Plus it's a small town with a good school system. Will be better to bring up the kids there.” “Oh, we thought you'd be coming home after school.” His dad sounds hopeful. “You could come home for a visit.”_

_“Actually I start work next week. I've already looked at a house to rent. It's a cute three bedroom with a big yard. But Grandpa can come visit whenever he wants.” Stiles says playfully. He really does want his kids to see him more. He just isn't going to Beacon Hills to see him. They change the subject and have a good weekend. Everyone hugs him a ton before they take off. His dad and Derek are the last ones._

_“I'm so_ _proud of you Stiles. And I know your mother would be proud of you too.” John leans in and hugs his son tight. Stiles fights tears. “thank you dad. I needed to hear that.” He gulps down so he doesn't cry. His dad gives him one last squeeze then kisses the twins sleeping heads._

_Derek looks like he has no idea what to do. He leans in and hugs Stiles who freezes in Derek's arms “Good job Stiles.” then he's gone._

Stiles shakes himself out of that memory. Trying to think of when he dad was happy with him. He pulls into the Hospital parking lot. He looks back, the kids are out of it. He gently shakes both of them.

“Come on sleepy heads. We're here. We're going to go check on Grandpa.” he smiles as he says it. Trying to keep calm for them. They were his anchors. Just being around them made him so happy. They make grumbly sounds. He picks up Sasha and carries him on one hip. Claudia walks next to him holding his hand. They walk in and the nurse on duty looks at the kids and smiles. They have that affect on strangers. They are perfect. His dad is still in surgery but she directs him to the lobby where the other deputies are waiting for word. He thanks her and starts walking. This is it. He's going to see them all again. And he might not see his dad alive again. Deep breaths and nuzzles into Sasha's neck. He finds some calmness and walks around the corner, he can hear Derek talking to someone. His heart is pounding in his chest.

“Hey guys. How is he?” he asks the room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Derek's pov.

Derek hated this part. The waiting. Waiting for Stiles. Waiting for news. He kept flashing back to after the fire. Waiting with Laura to see if Peter would be ok. Waiting for Laura to decide what they should do. He felt like he'd been waiting that past couple years for Stiles to come back. And now he was, but for the worst reason.   
They sat in the lobby waiting for the other deputies to check in with them. They had already caught the guy that shot the Sheriff, he had been high as a kite in the stores parking lot. Every time an orderly or nurse walked by they all tensed up. Hoping this one would let them know the Sheriff was ok. He wanted to be able to tell Stiles his dad was ok. He became lost in the daydream of Stiles falling into his arms and letting him hold him. The smell of his mate, the weight of his body in his arms, the sound of his heartbeat flooding Derek's ears.   
They sit in silence, just waiting. Melisa walks in and they all jump and stare at her. “Well, they've stopped most of the bleeding. The first bullet went straight through without doing too much damage, they repaired that already. But the second bullet tore through his kidney. They are trying to repair the damage now. But they may have to remove it. But we have cause to be hopeful now”  
They all let out a breath that they've all been holding. Derek wants to call Stiles and is reaching for the phone when Scott waves him off.   
“If he's in the car with the kids he won't want to be distracted. We'll just tell him when he gets here. He already texted my mom that he's on his way. He should be here in a couple hours. Don't worry Derek, he'll get here soon.” Scott has grown into his Alpha status. Making sure the needs of the pack are met. Allison and Isaac sit with their heads on his shoulder, taking comfort in his touch. He wants to go over and nuzzle his face into Scott's chest and take comfort in the smell of Alpha. But they are in too public a place for that. There are already rumors around town that they all might be sleeping together from how close they all are. Danny and Ethan are still at home. They will call and have them come in later. But for now it's just the core members of the pack. Those that love Stiles and the Sheriff the most.   
Scott's phone starts to go off. They all try to look at the number to see who it is, but it's not a number any of them recognize. “I don't know who is it” Scott swipes his finger to accept the call. Scott puts it on speaker so the humans can listen as well. “Hello?”  
“Is this Scott McCall?” A calm women's voice comes over the speaker.   
“Ummm, yes?” Scott answers giving them all a confused look.  
“Ahh. This is Alpha Renolds. Stiles gave me your number. Do you have any news for us?” Her voice is mildly condescending. She sounds like a middle aged business women. Someone who is used to getting her way. “We're looking for an update on the Sheriff's status.”  
Scott's eyes flash red. “Well Alpha Renolds. It's nice to hear from you. But until Stiles tells us we can, the Sheriff's status is none of your business.” Derek wants to pat him on the back, standing up to another Alpha like a grown up.   
“My apologies. I don't want to step on anyone's toes. But Stiles has become very important to my pack. We just want to know how the Sheriff is doing. We want to know if we need to come with condolences for a funeral or just emotional support for a hurt father” She seems to be apologizing and tell us to go fuck ourselves at the same time. Only his mom could ever make that same tone of voice. He's impressed. This alpha seems very capable.   
“Umm, Hello Alpha Renolds. This is Nurse McCall. Without breaking confidentiality, the Sheriff has a very promising outlook and baring complications or infection he should be fine.” Melisa speaks up. A visible wave of relaxation goes through them at hearing the optimistic prognosis.   
“Thank you Mr's McCall. Alpha McCall, we would like to come into your territory to help Stiles. How many of us will you allow?” Now her voice was all business. Scott looks up at Derek with a question on his face. Derek holds up his hand and splays his fingers out, signaling 5.   
“I will allow 5, including you Alpha Renolds. I assume you want to come as well.” Scott tells her with authority in his voice. And again Derek is proud of him.   
“I would like to come for a visit. I will bring my husband and two of my children. And one of my stronger betas that is attached to Stiles. We all have a vested interest in your former packmate. He's a valuable ally. We want him happy.” Now she's back to baiting them. Seeing if they'll rise to the insult and start a fight. This could be good for their pack, make an ally out of such a large pack.   
“We do want him happy. And we'll support him while he's here.” He speaks out of turn. He turns his head baring his throat to Scott. He shouldn't have interrupted.   
“This is Derek Hale, my second.” Scott covers for him.   
“Hmmm. Hello Mr. Hale. It's good to talk to you. I remember your mother. She was an amazing Alpha. Truly one of the most efficient and strong. I'm sure you're doing your best to aide this new pack.” Damn, that feels like a slap in his face. Now he knows she's propbably been in the audience for one of Stiles' Derek is a terrible Alpha speeches. Either from Stiles or this Tyler who he was sleeping with. When Stiles left he had been very vocal with how bad their pack had been.   
“It's an honor to be in any pack. And mine is a True Alpha.” Scott looks and him and smiles his puppy dog smile. “I'm proud to be his second.”  
“Well. I'm sure it is. Thank you Alpha McCall. We have to get things in order for our departure and will be there tomorrow. Thank you again for allowing us to enter your territory.” She hangs up without saying good bye.   
“Ok, she sounds like a bitch.” Isaac states. “Are we sure she should be coming here?”   
“We have to let them in. It shows them we're strong enough to face them and it shows good will.” Scott tells him.   
They fall quiet again. But this quiet is peaceful. The Sheriff seems to be doing well and they might have a new ally soon. They sit in this quiet for a while. Allison and Isaac dose on Scott's shoulder. Derek finds himself nodding off a few times. Then he wakes up and is fully alert, but there is nothing around to tell him why he's awake.   
Then he hears it. A heartbeat. Something he hasn't heart in years. Stiles' heartbeat. It's faster then usual but that's to be expected with the situation. He can hear Stiles getting closer. He should be just around the corner. Derek and the others stand up to wait for their former packmate.   
There he is. Standing in front of them. He looks perfect. Holding one of the twins, the boy, in his arms on one hip and holding the hand of the girl. Their both so beautiful that Derek wants to whine, his wolf saying Stiles should be holding their pups. The years have been very good to Stiles. He looks just like he did a year ago, maybe better. He still has his Argent bullet around his neck, which Derek has always hated.   
“Hey guys. How is he?” Stiles looks at them with hope in his eyes. Derek wants to go and wrap his arms around his mate, but he knows he can't.   
“My mom said that only one of the bullets did any real damage. But she just went back to check, she should be out in a minute.” Scott practically bounces from foot to foot to keep from running at Stiles. Which Stiles can tell. He sighs and holds his arm that isn't holding his son up for a hug. Scott runs into it and puts both arms around Stiles and his son burying his face in Stiles neck. Now Derek loves and respects his Alpha, but he's about 5 seconds from walking over there and pulling Scott off of his mate, even if he'll get a beat down for it. Scott's face has to be right on Derek's mating bite.   
But luckily Scott flinches back after a second making a face. “Dude. What did you do? Roll around with that guy?” Now hi  
s face turns red. He probably didn't mean to say that.   
“Oh, that's just Tyler. He got all wolfy possessive this morning. Wanted to mark his territory.” Stiles says with a little bit of a laugh in his voice. Derek wants to die. He can smell it now. His wolf is growling and whining in equal measure that his mate smells like some other wolf. Especially a wolf from a different pack. He wants to go over and rub his face all over Stiles.   
“Ahh yeah. His alpha called, they are coming down tomorrow. They called and asked permission.” Scott seems to not know what to say. None of them do.   
Allison and Isaac go over and give Stiles hugs. His kids start to squirm a bit.   
“Ok munchkins. Down you go Sasha. Lets get some of your toys out before you get bored and break something expensive.” He walks over to the chair and pulls out some toys for the kids. A toy bow and arrow for the girl and crayons and a color book for the boy. “Now remember my little huntress, don't fire that at anyone or daddy throws it away, and we don't hunt your brother. Sa why don't you color Grandpa a picture.” Stiles reaches up and runs his hand through the twins hair. The others all startle at Stiles calling his daughter a hunter. Was Stiles still training with hunters? Was he raising his kids to be hunters? “Claud, remember to take care of Sa. I'm just going to be other then having grown up talk.”   
“Ok daddy” The girl says. She smiles and has an open face. Blue eyes but her hair is the same color as Stiles'. She has the same pale skin as Stiles. Derek thinks she looks perfect. Sasha looks more like Stiles then Claudia does. He has the same shape of face and bone structure. He's quiet but seems to be watching and understanding everything that he sees.   
The next site actually makes Derek's heart melt, he can't hold back the small whine that comes out of his mouth. The kids both bare their necks and Stiles leans in and rubs his face in their necks. He's scent marking them like their wolf cubs. The twins look up at him and make funny faces at his whine. He can hear Stiles chuckle. He pulls the twins in and kisses their cheeks before getting up.   
Melisa has returned while Stiles was taking care of his children. Stiles took a deep breath and walk over. “How is he Melisa?”  
“He's going to be fine, baring an infection. They were able to remove the bullet and repair his kidney. He'll be here for a couple days till he's ok to go home.” She tells them all with a big smile on her face. You can see him if you want.”  
Stiles looks like he might fall over from the news. Derek wants to walk up behind him and hold him up. Let him lean on his strength. But he knows Stiles wouldn't let him. “Yes, please. Ok cubs. I'm going to go see Grandpa. I want you to stay with Uncle Scotty. I'll be back in a couple minutes.”  
“Ok daddy. We'll be good.” The girl tells Stiles. She looks at her daddy like he's the best thing in the world. Derek wishes he could see that everyday.   
Stiles walks down the hall with Melisa. He's happy that the Sheriff is going to be ok. He wouldn't have wanted to lose another parent.   
“So are you good doggies or bad doggies?” Claudia says, looking at Scott with the same shit eating grin that Stiles has, clearly his kids inherited his sense of timing.   
“Claudia we're not supposed to call them doggies. It's mean. Daddy's gonna be mad. You're supposed to call them wolves, not doggies.” The boy Sasha says, chewing on the end of a crayon. The looks is so much like Stiles that Derek has to fight the urge to walk over and scent mark both of them so that any wolves who meet them will know their his.  
“Hehehe. Uncle Scotty looks like a puppy.” Claudia says laughing, she reaches up and patting Scott on the head, she's standing on the chair next to him.   
Derek throws his head back and laughs at that. His Alpha does look like a puppy sometimes.   
“So did your daddy tell you we're wolves?” Scott asks them.   
“Yeah, he said that grandpa was in a pack. But not Uncle Tyler's pack, a different pack.” Claudia states. Stiles must tell them everything. Derek is shocked they know so much about wolves. How involved is Stiles in this other pack. John always made sure to ask when he was talking with Stiles about this other pack.   
“Yes. We're a different pack. We've been a pack since your daddy was in high school.” Scott says acting like high school was a long time ago.   
“But daddy isn't in your pack. You maded him leave.” Sasha says, looking at Derek. “Was he bad? Did he killeded too many wolves? Uncle Tyler says he does that sometimes. But they were all bad wolves.”  
Jesus! What the hell does Stiles say in front of his kids. They all look at each other uncomfortably. They don't know what to say.   
“Sa, we're not supposed to tell them that.” Claudia says glaring at the boy. God these kids really are Stiles', they love to talk.   
“Does your daddy talk about other wolves a lot?” Derek asks them. Talking to them for the first time.   
“No. He was with Uncle Tyler in his bedroom. Some bad wolves came to town and daddy stopped them. Uncle Tyler was sad that daddy didn't let them go. But daddy said they would have hurt other people, so daddy stopped them. Uncle Tyler's mommy told daddy it was ok.” Claudia tell him. Both kids are glaring at Derek like they've heard every bad thing he's done. Maybe they have.   
“Well if your daddy stopped them, then I'm sure they were bad.” Derek says. This conversation got serious real fast. How many wolves has Stiles killed since leaving the pack? They might have to have a conversation with this new Alpha.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry but this chapter feels a little like filler to me. but i wanted to show some Stiles as a daddy time.

Stiles walked down the hospital corridor. He tries not to laugh at his kids teasing the pack. All day he had felt like there was a fist around his heart but now he felt practically high from relief. His dad was going to be ok. In that instant he felt like he had a chance to get his dad back into his life.   
Melisa takes him into a room. His dad is in a bed hooked up to tubes and wires. “I know it looks bad, but really most of those wires are just to monitor heart and breathing. And put painkillers into him. He'll be out of it for the next day as we take him off anesthesia. But his chart looks good. ” Melisa says reassuringly. She leaves to give him some privacy.  
“Hey pops. So you got shot? That sucks. I'm sorry I didn't call you back about the kids birthday party. I just didn't want to have another fight. I hate fighting with you. It makes me feel all cut up inside. See what I did there? I talked about my feelings. No holding back anymore for this guy.” Holy shit, he's babbling to an unconscious person. What the hell is wrong with him? “I'm really glad you're ok” comes out in a whisper while he fights tears. He doesn't want to cry in front of his kids. He's told them it's ok to cry, he just doesn't want to do it in front of them. He takes his dads hand and holds it for a while. Just enjoying the feeling of knowing his dad is alive. He's already lost so much. He wasn't sure he could survive losing his dad. After a couple minutes he cleans himself up and heads back to the group. 

He walks into the waiting area. Claudia is standing on a chair playing with Scott's ears asking him why they're so big and Sasha is glaring daggers at Derek. God he loves his kids. He goes to one knee and holds his arms out for the kids. They squeal “Daddy!!” and run into his arms as if they haven't seen him in days. He covers their faces in kisses trying to communicate his good mood to them. 

“Now Claudia. Scott's ears are fine for the size of his head.” He winks at Scott who's mouth is hanging open with a lower lip jutting out. His daughter might make an alpha werewolf cry. He has done in job right. Lol. “What do we say when we've hurt someones feelings?”  
“I'm sorry Uncle Scott. You're ears aren't too big.” She is clearly lying. He hides his face in her neck to keep from laughing at Scott. 

Derek starts to laugh out loud. Stiles doesn't want to laugh with him but laughing his contagious. Sasha and Claudia are both giggling. “Ok, that's enough picking on Scotty. You two want to go see Grandpa? Then we'll go to daddy's old house and we can get some food. Thank you're Uncle Scotty for watching you.”  
“Thank you” they say in unison. They both run over and hug Scott's legs. Derek keeps looking at them like they're the cutest things he's ever seen. In fact, Stiles has never seen Derek display that many emotions in such a short period of time, remorse and empathy, humor, and now awe. It's really freaking Stiles out.   
He holds his hands out and they take them. He walks with the twins back to the room his dad is in, “Daddy is Grandpa ok?” Claudia ask him.  
“Yeah, he's just sleeping now. The doctors fixed his ouchies and now he'll be ok.” he assures them in a steady voice. His dad looks pale but the monitors show his heart is strong. “You too want to give him kisses so he feels better?”  
They both agree and he picks them up and the kids kiss his dad on the forehead. After he puts them down he does the same. Feeling so grateful that his dad is ok. He really wants to stay and be here when his dad wakes up, but he knows with the kids he should get them home, well to his dads home.   
He tells the kids to say bye to grandpa. They head back to the waiting room.  
“I'm going to head to my dads place. He hasn't moved or changed the locks has he?” He asks the room. Trying to not look so sad that he might not know about a huge change in his dad's life. Scott looks clueless but Derek steps closer.   
“No. He hasn't done anything to the house. Your room is probably just how you left it. And I don't think he changed the locks.” Derek tells him. He tries to not snap at Derek, who is looking at him like he's expecting him to yell at him. He might not be the towering inferno of violent hatred he used to be. But he still doesn't actively like Derek.   
“Thank you Derek. That will be helpful.” See! He can be an adult. “Melisa, can you guys call me if there is any change? Everyone, you should go home. Get some rest. He should be out of it for the day. We can all come back tomorrow.”   
They all respond that they wanted to stay, that they are not tired but Stiles could see bags under even the wolves eyes. They were all tired. He felt emotionally wrung out and he hadn't even really fought with anyone yet. He had a really messed up feeling that there was going to be a couple screaming matches before he went back to Oregon. The fear all day of not knowing if he was going to still have a dad had made him realize he had to have him in his life. And that meant he would have to deal with the rest of the pack. This was going to suck. He needed a couple hours of sleep before he talked to any of these wolves. Derek especially. Scott keeps leaning in like he wants to hug Stiles. He knows the alpha instinct to scent mark when you're upset.   
“Thank Scott for watching you and we'll come back tomorrow to see Grandpa.” The twins run up to Scott and each hug a leg. They look up at the Alpha and say thanks. Scott looks like he's melting. He was always a puppy. His kids are cute in every way. He picks up the kids and starts to head back to the parking lot. The others follow. He watches them all get into their cars. He loads the kids up and drives to his old house. He watches Derek in his mirror following him in a sheriff's cruiser. He wonders if he's going to wait outside his house like old times. He hates part of himself for wanting Derek to be there.

“Ok cubs. We're going to Grandpa's house. You'll get to see where daddy grew up. We're going to play in the backyard so you two can run off some of your energy.” He knows his kids need to rest soon but they need to run more then that. He hopes Derek doesn't over hear them. He's not sure he wants to have the conversation with any of them about the specialness of his kids. He really doesn't want to have that talk with his dad now that he know he has to have him in his and the kids life. He'll tell everyone when the kids are older. They get out of the car and Stiles feels like he's dreaming. He hasn't walked up the walkway to his house in years. It all looks the same. He unlocks and opens the front door. His kids hold on to his jean pants slightly hiding behind him. He knows they feel like their going into foreign territory. It's making their instincts uneasy. So he takes off his sweatshirt and throws it onto the couch so it'll start to smell like him in the room. He goes into the kitchen to see what there is to eat. Nothing. He'll have to go to the grocery store tomorrow.   
“Ok kids. We're gonna have some pizza for dinner. I'll call and order it and you two can go outside and hide. Then I'll come find you.” He says making a funny face trying to get them excited about it. Sometimes they were lazier then real cats. He needed them to sleep all night. He didn't want any “Daddy can we play?” at 3 in the morning. The kids ran out the back door, curious to see new things. Stiles called and ordered two meatlovers pizzas. He hoped that Luigi's was still a good place to eat. They'll take a little longer but he remembers they were good. He goes out into the backyard. It looks the same as when he left, same deck furniture same shrubs, oh a different grill. Good for dad, he finally got a new one. Propane instead of charcoal. I'll have to grill something while I’m here. He can't see the kids, but he knows they're here.   
“Oh I'm a big bad hunter. I'm going to get all the little kids here.” He makes his voice cartoonishly scary, going low with a growl. “I hope there are no little cubs around here. Cause then they might get me.”  
He knows Sasha can stay silent, but Claudia will find it too funny to say quiet. He listens and hears it. Claudia trying to not laugh. She sputters like he does. He can see her in his head holding her hands over her mouth, she thinks that will keep her laughs in her mouth. He moves slowly to where he hears her. She's hiding in a bush. “Hmmm. I wonder if there is anything hiding behind here? I'll have to look and see.” Claudia titters trying not to laugh. He quickly pushes a couple branches aside and sees his little girl. She giggle screams and runs inbetween his legs making him jump and almost fall down before he gets his balance. Years of being a badass hunter and his kids could still make him look like a spaz. Claudia uses her speed to get away and she dodges a couple trees and is up into the lower branches of a tree. He runs over and looks up, he's going to have to climb to get her. It won't be that hard, there are a couple good notches for him to get a hold of, he just has to watch out for Sasha. He's a sneaky one. He puts his foot in a notch and starts to climb. Then he feels it. The little bit of training that tells him to move. Too late, Sasha is on his back tickling him. He tries to reach behind to grab him but Claudia is on him before the can get Sasha off. Together the twins are enough to make him lose his balance completely. He has enough strength to get Sasha to the front before he's falling back holding onto both of them. He lands on the grass with the kids held tightly too him, the fall not even messing up their cloths. The are in the middle of a tickle fight before he can get up. They play wrestle until both cubs are up and running to hide again. They play this game for almost a full hour when the pizza arrives.   
Stiles is stoked, turns out the pizza is just as good as he remembers. He gets a movie ready and puts the pizza on plates for everyone. He gets the kids on the couch with food. He heads upstairs to his old bedroom. It's almost just how he left it. There's even still sheets and a blanket. The smell is probably very stale, so he pull them off and get some new ones from the hall closet. He gets the bed ready, they can all sleep in it for the night. He sits with the kids to finish the movie and food. They start to get sleep so he takes them upstairs. He tucks them in and kisses them a bunch. He hops into a shower after he knows they're asleep. He lets the stress of the day overtake him for a minute. He can't lose anything else, he's not strong enough. He almost lots his dad. He goes to his knees and cries letting all of the emotions go. His kids are safe and his dad in alive. He cries until he feels ok again. It only takes a few minutes. He gets in bed and holds his kids close.


	12. Chapter 12

Derek followed Stiles back to his fathers house. He could hear Stiles' voice in his head calling him a creeperwolf. He parks outside the sheriff's house. He listens to Stiles talk to his kids. He feels a content warm feeling in his chest. He used to love how active his home was before the fire. Now it's active again, Isaac and Scott both live there. They keep trying to get Allison to move in as well, but every time she starts to think about it she realizes they're all dudes and eat like pigs. He knows that soon Allison will convince Scott and Isaac to move into a house with her. She'll want to start a family soon. He still wonders how that will go for them, from the noises coming from Isaac and Scott's room when Allison isn't there, Derek knows that it's a sexual relationship with all of them. But he thinks that they may just not get married at all and live as all three of them. They seem to be very happy that way.

Derek is very happy for them. He hears Stiles order some pizzas then go outside and play with his kids. Derek listens closely to them playing. Hearing Stiles and his children laughing makes Derek happier then he's been in years. But from the rough housing he's worried Stiles plays with them too hard. But their giggles and screams tell Derek that maybe he should mind his own business cause they're having fun, the part of his mind that sounds like Stiles tells him. Ok, the kids are having fun but Derek thinks it's a little weird that Stiles plays hunters with his kids. Might give them a complex. He swears he hears the kids growling. That can't be right. Do they really hang out with wolves so much that they growl? That has to stop soon.

Derek just sits and listens letting the happy sounds of his mate and cubs wash over him. He hears the pizza delivering guy show up with food. He can smell the pizza and starts to get hungry but stays to listen to the meal. Listens to Stiles get them ready for bed. And then Derek listens to his mate sobbing in the shower. He's out of his car and halfway to the house before he stops himself. He can't go in there, he can't hold Stiles while he cries. Stiles would never let him. He gets back in his car. He doesn't fight back his own tears at listening to Stiles. He know Stiles will be ok soon. He just needs to hold on and cry. Stiles calms himself and get into bed with his twins. Derek cries for a while longer. Wishing with everything inside of him that he could be holding his mate right now. But he can't. He falls asleep sitting in his car.   
Derek comes awake with a start. Stiles is looking in his window the sun is up. He tries to come up with a good reason for why he's waiting here. He can't think of a damn thing. Stiles looks like he's trying not to laugh at him. He hangs his head in shame. “Get in here creeper wolf. You're going to freak out the neighbors.”  
He walks back into the house. There isn't any sign of the break down from last night on Stiles. He seems calm and collected. Derek follows Stiles into the house with his head down, feeling like a kid getting caught doing something naughty. The kids are up already and eating. They smell freshly bathed. Derek wants to pick them up and rub his face all over them. To make them smell like they're his and Stiles. The kids are laughing and whispering to each other. Derek sits down at the table with them. 

“Ok kids. You remember Derek. He's here for breakfast. Say hi kids.” Stiles goes about getting two more plates of food ready.   
“Hi creeper wolf.” Claudia says laughing. Sasha makes a scandalized face at her. 

“Claudia be nice. He's a guest.” Stiles tells his daughter. 

“But that's what you call him daddy.” Sasha says. Stiles holds back a laugh and puts a plate in front of him.   
“Just eat cub.” Stiles tells his son. 

They eat their food quickly. Derek notices that the kids eat a lot. He's impressed. The kids start to ask about seeing their Grandpa again. 

“Yes, we're going to go to the hospital and hang out there. I'm going to bring a tablet for you two to watch so you'll be quiet in case Grandpa is sleeping. We'll head over after breakfast.” Derek could sit here forever. The room is filling with the smell of his mate and his mate's cub. He can feel a part of him relax that never relaxes without his mate around. He want to pick up Stiles go to the couch and watch a movie with the cub sitting on their laps. 

“Daddy, he smells funny.” Claudia whispers in a voice that fills the room. Derek falls a little more in love with the little girl. She is a smaller version of Stiles. 

Stiles looks like he wants to face palm himself. “Well sweetie. That's cause he slept in his car last night. It made it so he was all sweaty and covered in his own smelly breath. That's why daddy works so hard so we can live in a nice house with a big yard to play in.” 

Sasha climbs up onto Stiles lap and puts his lips to his fathers ears “He smells sad daddy. Like he's sad all the time. Should I give him a hug?” Derek can barely hear the kid say that. Stiles looks at him with a weird expression. 

“Ummm. You know what? You can if you want to sweetie.” Stiles looks like he's about to swallow his own tongue. But Sasha gets up and come over to Derek. 

“Pick me up.” the little boy orders. Derek picks him up and Sasha makes grabby hands until he pulls him close. The kids puts his arms on Derek's shoulders and moves his face into his neck. It takes Derek a minute to realize that the kid is scent marking him. “Don't be sad creeper wolf. Just don't be creepy. Then people will like you.”

Stiles doesn't hold back then and laughs at him. Claudia gets a weird look on her face and walks over to him.

“I want up too.” Derek leans over and picks her up with one arm wrapping it around her. She hugs him and puts her face in the other part of his neck. Stiles mutters something about twins always doing the same thing. All Derek can smell now is the twin and Stiles. He finds himself acting on instinct and rubbing his face on both kids. That makes Stiles face change to something very pissed off. Ok, he pushed the boundary. He sets the kids down and they laugh and go to their daddy. 

“Ok cubs. We're gonna get ready to go see Grandpa and Derek should head home and shower. You two go find your shoes and sock and I'll put the dishes away.” Stiles instructs them. They run off and Stiles starts putting the dishes into the washer. He looks at Derek. “You should get going. We're going to be at the hospital most of the day and you should get ready. The Renold's pack is coming.”

Derek wants to growl at being reminded that another pack is coming into his territory. Even with permission it makes him want to bite at something. And knowing that Stiles wants to be around them just makes it worse. His mate and their cubs, his mates cubs, shouldn't be so close to another pack. He shakes his head, he can't call them his cubs, Stiles will kill him. He nods his head at Stiles and heads out. 

In the car to his house he thinks of a few things. One, Stiles is sexier and he wants to mount him more then he ever has. Two, Stiles with kids is the cutest thing he's ever seen. And three, those kids are so not human. They scent marked him and clearly were talking about smell and sounds they shouldn't be able to sense. What the hell had Stiles had kids with?


	13. Chapter 13

Stiles got the kids ready, putting on their sock and shoes. He could still smell wolf in the air. The kids were right about Derek, he had put off a ton of scent. Stiles had to fight the urge to put his face in Derek's neck and inhale for a while. He was hoping that the Renold's pack would get here soon. Watching his kids scent mark Derek had been hard, when Derek had leaned in and nuzzled them back Stiles had wanted to snap at him. Not cause he was angry but because it had made him feel very happy to see Derek with his kids. In another life he had imagined adoption or surrogacy being an option for children. He had imagined a house, them playing in the backyard. This whole being back in Beacon Hills was messing with his sense of normal. 

He finished getting the kids ready and loaded into the car. The drive to the hospital is quick and uneventful. He unloaded the kids and their gear and went to find his dad. A nurse tells them that his dad is still asleep but his vitals are strong. He sets up the kids with a movie and just watches his dad. He wants to be here when he wakes up. 

He gets a text from Tyler saying they are on there way and should be there in a couple hours. He feels better knowing he'll have some reinforcements coming. He hears the rest of the pack arrive and wait in the lobby down the hall. He tries to stifle a laugh when Scott asks Derek why he smells like the kids. Derek is such a creeper, he didn't shower to wash off the scent of the kids. His kids look up from the screen and give him silly smiles. They are listening too. He loves having such smart kids. How awesome is it that were-children advance mentally faster then humans? An insane amount, that's how awesome it is. They advance so quickly so they can handle the changes of their body faster to gain control of their inner tigers. His kids were closer mentally to 5 years old then to 3 years old. They were just perfect. 

He hears his dad start to stir. “Hey dad. You there? Can you hear me?”

His dad starts making faces, wincing like he's in pain. “Stiles? Uggh. What happened?”

“You got shot. Wait wait wait. Don't try moving. I'm going to go get a doctor. Lay bad dad. Kids stay with grandpa.” He walks out fast looking every where for a doctor or nurse. He sees a doctor and practically tackles him. “My dad's awake go check on him.”

“Ah the sheriff. Calm down young man. I'll be right in to check on him.” he wants to strangle this man. He looks over and sees the pack perk up. They want to come see him. 

“You guys can come in after the doc checks him out.” He knows that he doesn't have any real say in the matter, but it feels good to try to maintain some control of the situation. 

He walks back into the room and his kids have jumped up and are snuggling with his dad. His dad has one on each side. “Ahhh kids. I was gone less then a minute. Grandpa has ouchies. We don't climb on Grandpa when he has ouchies. Get down now!”

His dad tightens his hold on both kids making them giggle. “Stiles Stilinski. Don't you take that tone with my grandkids. They're perfect.” The kids snuggle closer. They aren't anywhere near when he was shot so it's not too bad but he should be resting. “Hmm, hey kids. I think cause I'm older then daddy I should get to tell him what to do. What do you say?”

They adorably agree with a chorus of “Yes Grandpas.” Little traitors. 

“See Stiles! As your father I order you to let them snuggle me. So there.” His dad is so high right now. 

He is making open fish mouth faces when the doctor walks in. Great so now he looks like an idiot. “Ok Sheriff. Let's look at you. Hmm, ok your chart looks good. We repaired the damage the bullets made. You're just going to be weak for a couple days and need some physical therapy to get all the range back in your right shoulder. I can give your son some names of locals. He's going to need about two weeks before he's cleared to be back at work. He'll need someone to help out for that first week. He should take it easy.”

“Thank you doctor. He'll be looked after. We take him home and make him watch trashy tv and eats all his vegetables. Won't we kids?” Try to undermined him with his kids, hah old man. The kids agree with giggle squeals. “Hear that old man? We're gonna make you eat all healthy food. Say good bye to fast food.”

“Oh come on kid. I've been shot. I am a valued protector of this community and deserve cheeseburgers. I need red meat to help me heal from all this being shot.” He dad is actively starting to whine and the kids are laughing like he's the funniest thing they've ever seen. They are scent marking the crap out of their Grandpa. 

“Actually, a high protein lower fat diet would be better for his organs after this trauma.” The doctor informs them before telling the Sheriff to get some rest on his way out.   
“Ha! Told you so.” And then of course he does some weird karate chop thing. God, he's reverting back to acting like a teen. It's being around his dad and the rest of the pack. Maybe when the Renolds show up he'll start to act like the grown up single dad he actually is. “Ok cubs. You can stay on Grandpa if you keep quiet so he can rest. His ouchies need to heal. So here is your movie. No squirming.”

They both kiss his dad a couple times before settling down to watch a movie. His dad looks happy and relaxed. He feels a little guilty that he keeps them away from him so much. He says out loud. “You guys can come in and say hi.”

The members of the pack in the lobby walk come into the room. Scott first then Derek, Isaac and Allison. The rest of the pack is away at work or college. He knows Lydia is getting her PHD. Aiden is living with her at MIT. Danny and Ethan are both at Berkley getting their masters. On his lonely days he actually misses all of them. He did spend almost two years with them every day in life threatening situations. It bonded them. 

They all check on the Sheriff. He is very high while telling them he's fine. After about ten minutes dad starts to nod off and the pack decides to head out. They all have to get back to work especially Derek. With his dad out the office they need all the help they can get. Stiles decides to walk out with them. They get to the main lobby of the hospital when he notices every wolf freeze and tense up. He automatically reaches behind him for the knife in the small of his back looking around for a threat. 

Then he hears “Hey Stiles” He turns and sees Tyler and his family walking into the hospital. Fuck. This is going to be really awkward. Tyler walks up and wraps his arms around Stiles. He accidentally traps Stiles hand behind his back and brings his other hand up around Stiles neck to bring him in for some scent marking. Stiles tenses trying not to move into attack mode to get his arm back where he wants it. He want to grab Tyler by the his hair pull his face back, slam his head into Tyler's nose to make him fall back, then get his knife out. Yeah, hunter training runs deep. “I missed you Stiles.”

“Umm, Honey. Stiles is making his 'I'm trying not to hurt you' face. Maybe you should let him get his arm out from behind him before you takes you down. God you're a crappy werewolf.” Tyler's mother Patricia, Alpha Renolds, says sounding exasperated but entertained by her son. “It's good to see you Stiles.”

Tyler lets him go and steps back blushing. Alpha Renolds walks over. “Alpha McCall? It's good to finally meet you. Stiles has told us so much about you.”

Scott and her size each other up. Then shake hands. Scott shakes all of their hands. Everyone seems very uncomfortable. Derek actively seems to be trying not to wolf out. “How is your dad doing Stiles? Tyler didn't tell us much other then he had been shot.” 

Stiles relaxes just thinking about the answer. “He's good. He woke up for a little while. The twins are laying in bed with him while he naps. He's going to be in here for a couple more days. But then I can take him home.”

“Oh you're such a good son. Tyler had Barbara cancel all your appointments for the next couple days.   
So you can be here for your dad. Then you can help him til he's better or bring him home.” She says sounds a little uncertain. The rest of the McCall pack tenses up at that last part. Damn, he doesn't want a fight today. “But that can all be talked about later. Alpha McCall, we have a hotel room for the next couple days. Do we have your permission to stay in your territory that long?

“Of course. We always want to make our neighbors feel welcome, Alpha Renolds.” Scott actually sounds like a badass alpha. Good for him. 

“I'll stay and Stiles can give me a ride to the hotel later.” Tyler tells his mom, the Renolds pack leaves after hugging him again. Tyler practically hanging on him while the McCall pack glares at him. 

“Ok, we should get back to dads room, don't want to leave the twins anywhere too long, they might decide to take over.” He jokes trying to make the situation less awkward. And failing miserably at it. “You guys should head back to work. I'll call you to come by later when your shifts are done. Just want to be with my dad now.” 

They all start to head out grubbling. Derek looks like he's going to throw a fit. He's shaking. But he nods his head and does what Stiles asks. 

“Call me if you need anything, and I mean anything Stiles, please.” Derek says to him. Stiles nods his head at him. 

The second the door closes Tyler is wrapping his arms around him kissing his neck and whining “I hate it when you're away too long. It makes me feel so crazy.” 

Hmm, this feels really good and the smell of wolf makes him feel better, but he kinda wants to lecture Tyler on compartmentalization of the emotions until you're out of the hospital, but this feels too good.   
They walk back to his dads room and he says out loud “Ok cub, Uncle Tyler is here but we have to be quiet so Grandpa stays asleep so no yelling. Just get hugs and kisses from him then go back to being quiet for Grandpa.”

The come around the corner and go into the room. The cubs are practically bouncing with energy. Tyler walks over and kisses and scent marks both kids. Stiles tries very hard not to think about the absence of the warm gooey feeling he got when Derek did the same thing to them. They got situated and sat to wait. Stiles letting his head fall onto Tyler's shoulder as he nodded off.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Derek's pov

Derek is fighting with himself. He is watching that wolf hug and rub his mate through the windows of the hospital. His eyes are glowing and his claws are fighting to come out. 

“Calm down!” His Alpha orders. He wants to shift into his beta form and fight those orders. But he knows it's for the best. He lets Scott's order makes his back release and his claws settle back inside him. He bares his throat subtly to Scott. His Alpha moves close and hugs him. He holds onto Scott tightly, inhaling the scent of pack and comfort. “We'll get him back. We'll beg him to stay. On our knees if we have to but we'll get him to stay. He loves you. We love him. We're all better then we were when we made him leave. He doesn’t seem to hate us. We can work with that.”

Derek somethings thinks that Scott is a bit look on the happy side of things. But he's hoping this time Scott is right. He doesn't think he can survive his mate leaving again. There is so much he wants to show Stiles. His new house. He has rooms for the kids. He has set up the backyard to be a safe place for kids. There is a jungle gym and a deck. The kitchen is set up to be family friendly, large and open so you can cook and still watch the kids playing. He's taught himself to cook and clean. He's actually in a good place now. He wishes he could have shown Stiles this when he was in school. But he still needed to heal. He was wrong, so very wrong for years. Ever since he came back to Beacon Hills to find out what happened to his sister. He made almost every wrong choice he could. But he was better now. He was a good beta and a great deputy. He had tried dating other people and the sex had been good, but he missed his mate every day. 

He walked over to his cruiser and drove to work. He knew there was lots to do while the Sheriff was out of the office. He would have to help pick up the slack. Deputy Parish was the one doing it now. Matt had used the kanima to kill a bunch of the older deputies. There were lots of younger ones now. 

He pulls over to a quiet part of the town and whips out his cock. He's been fighting the urge to cum since he smelled his mate yesterday. He was slutty right after Stiles left, he was trying to find some relief in fucking anyone who let him bend them over or spread their legs. No one had given him even the smallest bit of join in comparison to what he had with his mate. His hardon was driving him nuts. Just being in the room with Stiles had been driving him nuts. He wrapped his hand around his hard cock. Teasing the underside of his cock. He whimpers thinking about this morning. Smelling Stiles so close to him. His knot starts to form and he focuses on holding it back. He doesn't want it bulging out at work. He works his cock faster and harder. Making high pitched sounds come from his mouth, he reaches his orgasm so fast he cries while shooting spurts of cum out of his cock. He looks down panting. He's soaked his shirt. He takes it off and puts on his deputy uniform top. 

He arrives at work feeling sated and happy. He hadn't had that good of an orgasm since he had sneaked into Stiles bedroom and jacked off with one of Stiles old shirts over his face. The Sheriff had found out and teased him mercilessly for months over it. He walked into the Sheriff's department with a smile on his face. Deputy Parish was manning the front desk. 

“Oh thank god. Someone else to help out. How is the Sheriff?” Parish is smiling at him. He was always a happy guy. 

“He's doing fine. Woke up for a while. The doctors say he can go home in a couple days.” He informs the whole office. Everyone seems to take a deep breath and let some stress go. The other deputies moving a little faster around the office. Derek goes into the Sheriff office and sit at his desk. He starts to go through his inbox trying to help him catch up before he gets back from sick leave. He works on reports for a couple hours until he senses a wolf nearby, a wolf not in his pack. He walks out of the office into the lobby to find Alpha Renolds and her mate. Derek wants to wolf out and attack them but he knows he can't take on an alpha. 

“Ah Deputy Hale. We were looking for you. May we talk?” She sounds so civil that Derek wants to scream. His mate lives in her territory how can she be so civil? 

He nods his head and they go outside and sit on a park bench. “What can I do for you Alpha Renolds?” He's trying to be polite. They are a huge back and could be valuable allies. He wants his alpha to be proud of him. 

“Well, first of all. I would like to say how sorry I am to hear about your family. I had met your mother. She was an amazing Alpha. Many of us were horrified when we heard of the fire. She was a great loss to the entire wolf world.” She sounds serious. Derek can see the concern on her and her mate's faces. “Secondly, we don't have any designs on your territory or anyone within it. I would like it if you could inform your alpha of that.”  
Derek understands that. Pack alliances are important for everyone. This could help to legitimize their pack. Having a true alpha was impressive but they had been fighting for years to keep the territory strong. But the Renolds pack is old and fucking huge. Even the Hales were a little scared of them when they were in full power. But his mom had always said she liked Alpha Renolds. She had a reputation as being a wise and powerful alpha who lead her pack for almost 30 years. Her territory hadn't had a major problem in generations. No hunters had permanent people there and they hadn't had any random killings since before he could remember. It was a completely safe territory. 

“I will tell my Alpha. We want nothing more then peaceful relations between our packs. I know that Scott has no designs on your territory.” See, he can be diplomatic. 

“Good. Now that we have that out of the way. I want to talk about Stiles.” She says. And Derek wants to scream. “I know your pack has some issues with him, but we don't want to steal him, so to speak. I've offered him a position in our pack for years. He's done some amazing things for our pack. And we all love his kids. But until he agrees to become pack, he makes some of us nervous. A trained hunter living in our territory without more ties to us then just sleeping with my son.” Hmmm, Derek can hear annoyance at the relationship between Stiles and her son. Good he can work with that. 

“So what are you doing in this territory if Stiles' isn't pack? And you don't really appear to like him dating your son.” He asks of her. “Because you dropping everything and coming here shows a deeper commitment to Stiles then you seem to want.”

“Well, he's pack adjacent. He saved our pack a couple of times from other wolves and my daughter from hunters. He makes our pack stronger and harder to take. If he ever wants in I'll jump at the chance to have him in our pack. But having his children in our pack posses a problem.” She seems upset over admitting that. 

“They're not human are they?” He asks her. Maybe she'll give answers to his questions. He doesn't think they're humans. “They seem advanced for their age in mental faculties and size. But they don't smell like wolves.” 

“Hmm, I can't answer that. That's for Stiles to tell you if you want. And I won't break his trust. I don't want to make an enemy of him.” She seems to want to say more, but holds back. 

“That's fine. I can work with that.” He hopes. He really hopes. “But I have to know. If we try to get him to stay will your talk of peace change?” 

“Of course not. Hell, even if half of what Stiles tells me about what you've faced is true and from his scary ass scars I'm going to believe him, then I don't want to fuck with your pack.” That makes him jerk his head. His mother never cursed from what he remembers. But she has a smile on her face. “You have a good set up here and we don't want to rock the boat. I'm here because Tyler loves Stiles and Stiles is important to the rest of us. We want to support him. Family is very important to all of us and it broke our hearts to think Stiles might lose his father. We wanted to be here in case of the worse. But now that the Sheriff seems like he will pull through we can help Stiles, gain an ally and go back to our territory.”

“I know that my Alpha wants nothing more then for our two packs to be allies.” He says trying not to howl with happiness. She doesn't approve of Stiles. Derek still has a chance. 

“Thank you for telling your Alpha this. Oh and from what I can smell, I think you still want your mate back.” He blushes, he must smell like sex to a wolf. She makes a sour face “I'll tell you this, he's never told my son he loved him, in all the years they've been sleeping together. I suggest begging, lots and lots of begging, with flowers and an engagement ring. And you're hot so I suggest naked. Now we have to get back to the hotel. We want to be there when Stiles brings Tyler back. Think about what I've said Mr. Hale. We want to have a healthy relationship with your pack.” 

They get up and walk away. Derek sits stunned. He wants to run back to the hospital and tackle Stiles and kiss him until he submits and lets him mate with him. He knows that no matter how much Tyler likes or loves Stiles, having your mom and Alpha not approve is a huge bonus for Derek. He has a chance. He can get Stiles to stay to help his dad and then woo him and get him to love him again. 

He goes back to work. Feeling a sense of relief he hasn't felt in years. His mate is home, the Sheriff is going to be ok and he might be able to get his mate back. He gets back to work to wait for Stiles to call with an update on the Sheriff. Maybe he'll stop by and bring Stiles and his pups some food.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stiles pov. This chapter is a little shorter but it was more emotional for me to write. so there. next chapter will have more action and Stiles being a bamf.

Stiles woke up with a start. His head was on Tyler's shoulder and his kids were standing in front of him, poking him and giggling. God his kids were too much like him. He growls playfully and lunges forward and grabs both of his kids pulling them to him. They squeal and hold on tight. He kisses both of their cheeks. “No poking daddy or he'll eat you.” 

“Stop threatening your kids Stiles, it's mean.” Tyler sighs. Sometimes he's a buzz kill. “You're going to give them a complex if you keep that up.”

“They know daddy wouldn't eat them. But poking daddy is bad. We give daddy hugs and cuddle when we want him to wake up.” He says nuzzling his kids even closer. He loves holding them. 

“Ahh now that is a way to wake up.” His dad says. Stiles looks at his dad, he looks better. His color good, he actually looks like he has a tan. Before he looked pale. “He kiddo. Have a nice nap?”

“Yeah. Did you, old man?” He says trying to be playful. He wants to play it cool, but right now he's just so frickin happy that his dad is alive he's willing to put up with his dad teasing him for days. Plenty of time to get back at him later. The man was never going to be eating sugar again. And red meat was a thing of the past. He was going to make this man suffer as soon as he got him home safely. 

“I did, but I think the kids need to get out of here for a while. They forgot I was hurt and tried climbing on me.” The twins look sad now. He nuzzles them to make them feel better. “Why don't you guys get some food. And then bring me back some.”

“Well, how about Tyler goes and takes the kids to pick up some food and we'll get some alone time and then we can play outside in the park down the block. We can chase the kids around. Will you guys be good for Uncle Tyler?” He looks sternly at the kids. 

“Yes daddy. We'll be good.” Claudia speaks for both of them. Tyler takes the kids by each hand and walks out with them. Giving Stiles a huge smile on his way out. 

“I'll call you when we get back so you can come play for a while.” Tyler says over his shoulder as they walk down the hall. 

“Cool.” He says in a normal voice knowing they'll be able to hear. 

“So how are you feeling pops?” He goes over and grabs his dad's hand.

“I'm feeling better. Sore as hell. But I think that's from being way less high.” His dad says with a smile. “I have to say, it's damn good to have you here son.” He says squeezing Stiles hand hard. 

“It's good to see you too dad. I should have made time and come down sooner. But with the kids and work I just never felt like leaving.” He says feeling like a naughty teen again being caught doing something he shouldn’t. He knows he had every right to not come home, but seeing his dad in a hospital bed with two bullet wounds, those reasons seem very small in comparison to how much he loves his dad. 

“You don't have to defend yourself kid. I always knew why you didn't come home. I never wanted you to come until you were ready. All those years ago I was an idiot to ever listen to Derek and Scoot. I was just so scared of you not coming home from one of your fights. After you told me they kicked you out, I went to kick Derek's ass. I found him sobbing in his loft. He told me why he did it. He told me how many scars he had counted on you and kid, I couldn't disagree with him.” There are tears in his dads eyes now. He looks like he about to break down. “I couldn't lose you too son. I couldn't bare it son.”

The heart monitor is speeding up. He doesn't want to watch his dad freak out so he crawls into the bed and hugs his dad. “I know dad. It just hurt so much that you were in the pack and I wasn't.” Dammit. Now he had tears in his eyes. He felt the unhealed wound left by the pack aching. It had healed over the the years, but was always tender. His dad holds him while they both cry. 

Stiles has no idea how long they cry and hold each other. When he pulls away his dad looks pale again. Fuck, he really didn't want to upset his dad anymore. 

“Stiles, I only joined the pack because Melisa begged me. Without you there was no one with brains other then Lydia and she doesn't see the need to share her ideas as much as you did. If it makes you feel better I punched Derek every time I saw him for months after you left for being an idiot. But I couldn't let you come back. I wanted you to have a normal life. I had no real idea what you had all been through until I was in the pack. And by then I was so damn grateful that you weren't in this life anymore.” His dad looks wrecked. Like every emotion has burst out of him. He hears the pleading in his dad's voice. “Please forgive me son.”

He wants to hold on to his anger, he really does. But he's been letting go of it since the twins were born. Knowing he couldn't raise them in a loving home if he was angry all the time. He was breathing hard, he could hear his own heartbeat in his ears, trying to fight back the emotions. This felt like a purging, like a crossroads. He sees him holding on to anger and slowly turning bitter. Slowly turning into Gerald, full of hatred. And he can't, he just can't. He loves his children too much.

He takes a deep break and lowers himself on to his fathers chest. “I missed you daddy. I don't hate you, I love you.” Now he can hear his dad crying and petting his head as he murmurs “I'm so sorry. I love you too son” over and over. Stiles can feel his heart beating easier like a band across it is loose after years of being tight. He could see the life he had before with the pack, all those memories tainted red by hate and anger start to fade and become cleaner. He cries in his dads arms until he feels lighter. Healthier. He stays in his dads arms hoping no nurses will come it. It would be weird but he has years of hugs to make up for. He's not going to let his dad out of his life again. It hurts too much. Plus he wants his dad in the twins life. 

After a while his dad decided to rock the boat again because he got his horrible sense of timing from somewhere “So son, we going to talk about that man?”

Stiles makes a face “What man? Tyler?”

“Yes. The man who looks like a cousin of Derek thus proving that you have a type when it comes to men.” His dad says with a laugh. 

“Dad. I really don't want to talk about it. He's a friend.” He sighs. He really doesn't want to ruin the happy feelings. 

“Hmm, son, that boy is madly in love with you. He's clearly thinking he's going to raise those kids with you. Are you in love with him?” He gets up. He really doesn't want to be cuddling with his dad while he fights with him. That's just too crazy. 

“I don't know. I know I care about him and I love him. But I'm not sure I love love him.” He tells his dad feeling flushed. This was not a talk he wanted to have. He barely knew what his feelings for Tyler were. Tyler was his best friend. Who he also slept with. Yeah it was confusing. 

“Well son, he and his family dropped everything and came here to support you emotionally in case I died. That seems pretty damn committed to me. Are you sure you're not leading him on?” Why do parents know the exact things to say to make you want to scream? “He's a good guy. We talked while you were asleep. He's good looking if that's what you're going for, but he seems a little on the naive side of things.”

“Ahh...” He tries to get something out but can't really talk. He's saved from having to answer by the buzzing of his phone. Yes, saved by the bell. He looks at it. 

“Ahh, dad. Tyler's back with the kids and food. I'm going to go run them around and use up their energy so we can come back and spend time with you. And I'll get you some good stuff too.” He gives his dad another hug and starts to walk out of the hospital room. 

“Just for the record, we're going to have a talk about those kids one of these days. Three year olds aren't nearly as advanced, even with you as their dad.” His father gives him a pointed look but with a smile o n his face.

“Yeah yeah yeah. Keep up the questions and we'll be feeding you tofu and salad the rest of your life, old man.” He threatens and walks out laughing. He has a smile on his face. He feels lighter then he has in a while. He walks across the parking lot to the community park. Tyler is sitting on a bench with his kids. Tyler looks up and smiles at him. It's not a normal smile, it's like Stiles is every good thing in the world. Holy fucking shit. Stiles might not be in love with Tyler but he does love him. But from that look, Tyler is in love with him. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. His dad is right. 

He goes and hugs his kids. Thanking Tyler for the food. He tries to keep control of his heartbeat so Tyler doesn't think something is wrong.

“You've been crying.” Tyler says while the kids are running around the picnic table. “But you seem happy. What happened?”

“My dad and I finally had that emotional talk you've been pushing for. It ended in him asking for forgiveness and me crying and telling him I loved him.” He says not looking at Tyler. He knows the face Tyler will have. It'll be his 'hugs, puppies and sunshine' face. God, was he leading Tyler on? “I think we're going to be ok now” 

“Oh, man, that's awesome. That will make you so much happier. Now you'll be able to move on emotionally and grow. It'll be so good. I swear.” Sometimes he thinks Tyler was a hippie in his last life. He watches his his kids run around while Tyler talks about growth and mediation. And all he can think about is fuck fuck fuck. Maybe Tyler is too nice for him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This starts out in the Sheriff's pov and the flashback is Alpha Renolds.

John laid in his hospital bed feeling better then he had in years. If he had known getting shot would have led Stiles back to him, he would have gotten shot years ago with a smile on his face. He knew that this was only the first step towards him and Stiles being ok, but it was still a start. He knew he had tons of talking and yelling, or more likely getting yelled at, ahead of him. He could still hear Stiles saying he loved him. He hadn't said it without it sounding forced in years. He could get used to hearing that. And the kids, the kids climbing all over him. That was awesome.

He had teased the older Deputies when they went on and on about their grandkids. But now he got it. It was all the good of being a dad again without the stress. When they get too tired you just point that back at their parent. The kids watching a movie laying with him was a feeling he could really really get used to. Their perfect little hands holding the tablet to watch tv had been so cute. He laid in bed just feeling happy until a beautiful woman walked into his room holding a vase of flowers with a balloon attached. The balloon says “Get well soon.”

“Umm, Do I know you, ma'am.?” He'd like to know this women.

She has a quirky smiles on here face and says “I'm Patricia Renolds. I think Stiles told you about me, I'm Tyler's mother.” Oh ok, she could smell that he liked her.

“Ah, it's good to meet you. And yes, Stiles has told me about you.” Yeah, like he's sleeping with your son and you've tried to get him to join your pack a dozen times.

“I wanted to bring you some get well flowers. I know smelling flowers always puts me in a better mood. Stiles told us you're going to be alright. I'm so glad to hear that.” John knows enough about people to know she's not lying. A polite Alpha. Good to know that Scott wasn't the only one.

“Thank you so much. I know that Stiles was looking forward to you all coming to support him. When we talked there was always a mention about you and your pack.” He wants her to know that his son tells him things. She smiles like she knows how much crap has gone on between Stiles and the pack here. Hell maybe she does know.

“Yes my pack. We all love Stiles a great deal. He has done many things for my pack. He's quite the hunter and researcher. Not that my pack has had many problems, but he was always there to help, once we got over instinct to try to kill us.” She lets out a throaty laugh throwing her head back a little bit. When she laughs her whole face lights up and she has laugh lines around her eyes. He could find himself liking this women.

“Well, in his defense most wolves he met outside of our pack were not very friendly. They fought for almost two years to keep this territory.” He still shudders sometimes thinking about all the things his son had to do with his pack to keep Beacon Hills safe.

Everything had settled down by the time he had joined the pack. All the neighboring packs had heard of the two year slaughter of anything creepy or crawly in their territory and had rightly decided that treaties were better then being killed.

“Yes, that damn Nemeton. Many of us supernaturals felt it wake up. It only called to my pack slightly. We are strong and well balanced so ignoring it was easy for us. But from the rumors coming out of here for a while we knew better then to try to send a delegation until it settled down. Then Stiles came into our lives and I really didn't want to have to tell him I had made an alliance with this pack. He was an ally and there was no real need to make an alliance with this pack. You're powerful, but small and there are a few territories between us.” She makes a face of distaste. Like she's tasting something sour. “To be honest, after the Hale fire I and many packs left this territory almost completely alone in respect to Talia. God, she was an Alpha. She both scared the crap out of me and made me feel like a sister. She was just like that.”

She seems to shake her whole body to clear her thoughts. “But we are not here to rehash the past, we are here to make sure you get better and if I can make a tentative alliance with the McCall pack, all the better. Now about you and your son, I'd like to formally invite you into my territory for your rehabilitation. You won't have full range of your arm again for some time. I know Stiles could take shorter work hours to spend more time with you and you would be able to be around the kids, which would be amazing. God knows I can't wait to be a Grandmother.” He can hear his heartbeat on the monitor getting faster as this conversation goes on. He hopes to god it's the drugs making him hear this. Because if he's not then this Alpha expects him to move in with Stiles. Which he's not planning on doing. “And after you're better if you decide to stay my husband and mate is out county Sheriff. You would be able to be a deputy, work part time, then retire early and just be a grandfather.”

Crap crap crap. She means it. Oh god, is this was Stiles wants? The idea of being around Stiles and the twins more seems so awesome but he's bonded with his pack. Melisa and Chris have become his friends. And he loves being Sheriff. And yes, in maybe ten years he thought about retiring. Maybe then moving to where Stiles is living. But not yet. And the worse pain would be leaving the house he and Claudia had lived together. He has always planned on growing old with her in that house.

“Well, Alpha Renolds I'm not sure if I should be making decisions after being shot. With the drugs and stuff.” God he sounds like Stiles. How the hell did he get elected.?

“Hehe, you sound like your son. Don't worry. I'm only being a little serious. While you are welcome to come stay in my territory and my husband would give you a job if you wanted one. I think we both know that's not what you want. You want to stay here and you want Stiles and the kids here as well. To tell the truth, I want that too.” She looks worried saying that. She ticks her head slightly to the side. “I'm trying to keep and ear out for Stiles or my son. I don't want them knowing I feel this way.”

“Might I ask why you feel this way? Stiles has been dating your son for some time and living in your territory. You said he saved your life and you want him in your pack, but you don't want him marrying your son? Is this about him being a guy?” He knows he shouldn't ask that last one, but he kinda really wants to.

She huffs out a breath. “No it's not about the guy thing, most wolves are a little bit bisexual, it's about how people smell over how they look. And yes, I would be honored to have your son in my pack. He already makes it stronger and safer. But my son is kind, sweet, and more then a little bit of a naïve idiot. And your son, he's a wonderful boy who happens to be a killer. He's killed more wolves then I have. When I met your son he has two guns and three knives on him. That I knew about. I'd bet he had more on him that he didn't tell us about.” She lets out a cynical laugh. “And just a few hours ago in the lobby, your pack was obviously on alert from smelling us and your son was reaching for a weapon when my son, the sweet idiot, walked up and hugged him. Trapping his arm behind him and making Stiles make his 'I'm about to do violence' face. I had to remind him to let go. It's like he has no self preservation skills.”

John starts to laugh. “I felt the same way about Stiles when all this started. He seemed to rush head on into danger every other day. Some emergency with the pack and I knew he was editing out most of the bad stuff. Then I saw him train, it was harder then my basic training when I was in the army. It was terrifying thinking my son needed those skills. Hell, I think Stiles would have been able to kick most of our asses.”

“I know he could have. He made a comment about my betas once, how he kept getting close enough to attack if he wanted to. He wiped the floor with some of my best. He had a design for a new workout and training regime two days later. I'm not sure he slept during those two days. But the regime worked. My betas are all tougher and better fighters. My son not included. He's a terrible fighter and I'm glad he's not in line to be the Alpha. He's be awful at the job.” She tells him.

He's starting to see why Stiles likes this women. She can talk. “But that brings me to your son. He's a bad ass. My son needs someone warm and cuddling. You're son needs someone to stand by him in a fight. Not cheer him on. My son wouldn't know what to do in a fight. Our territory is one of the more peaceful. My pack is big enough that we are not threatened by most things. Tyler was raised in that. I'd like him to stay in it. And Stiles belongs in a more dangerous world. He just does."

Damn. That's a lot of info to process. "I'm not actually sure I’m sober enough to respond to that. But what I'm hearing is you like my son and would love to have him in your pack, but you don't want him to marry your son. I'd have to say I agree, but I don't want him in your pack. I'd like him back in our. If there is anyway for that to happen.”

He knows that Stiles being nice to him is entirely different then Stiles joining the pack again. He still seems to want to punch most of them. Hell, John still wanted to punch Derek some of the days when he really missed his son.

“Well we can see what he wants but I don't think he loves my son. At least, not as much as he should to be with him. I don't think he ever go over your pack mate, Derek. I hate to say this, but I think my son is just a nicer version of Mr. Hale. Your son has a type. Tall, dark and beautiful. Here's the thing, I don't think my son deserves anything other then mad passionate love. What he has with Stiles is nice but it's not that. And your son deserves it too. Now how do we get them to break up?” She asks with a tired smile.

“Oh thank god for morphine. I'm not even sure they're a real couple. I always got the impression that Stiles was just sleeping with Tyler. No offense, but I kinda thought my son was a slut and was just with Tyler cause the sex was good.” Wow, did he really just say that to a mom?“Ok, your son isn't a slut, he loves Stiles, my son's the slut. I think. How about we talk about this later when I'm not on huge amounts of painkillers?"

“Of course Sheriff. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought this up now. It could have waited a couple days. But I just think this is the best opportunity for both of our packs. You get Stiles and I get my son to be with someone less scary.” She says laughing.

“Is my son really that scary? I mean, you're a frickin Alpha. Shouldn't other people be scared of you?” He asks her.

“Hmm, the third time I saw your son was in the back of the office he was interning at and he was going through the dead bodies of two hunters he had just killed. He then sent an email of to some hunter friends and cremated the bodies without acting like it was at all weird. My daughter cried all night long when we got her home. And she could be an Alpha. The first time my son met yours, Stiles almost killed him without hesitating. The only reason he didn't is that Catherine stopped him from the final blow. The fifth time, Stiles killed eight wolves and saved my life. If you'd like, I could show you the fight. It was scary as fuck.” With a smile she brings up here hand and there is a _schlict_ of her claws coming out. His heart rate monitor shows an uptake.

“Umm, sure. I'm up for seeing my son kick some ass. Plus he never told me about this and I'd like to guilt trip him about it.” He takes a deep breath while she reaches behind his neck. He can feel her claws moving to cup his neck.

“This my sting a bit.” Her eyes flash red and he feels a nail slip into his neck. Then black.

_There are three wolves holding her down. They are all trying to get a killing blow in but she is dodging enough to keep them from landing one. But they are strong and keep coming. Her son has one beta and daughter has two her, holding them down and slashing away at her children. Her husband is under two more. She's never been this afraid for her family before. Every threat has always been easily dealt with either through the size of her pack or diplomacy. She screams out in rage and slasher her claws down one betas side making him howl._

_She can hear the footsteps of someone coming closer. One of the betas on her growls out a “handle it” and one of the wolves slashing her daughter stops and moves to intercept the person walking into the warehouse. She sees the Stilinski kid walk in with a focused almost happy look on his face. The wolf gets to the boy and suddenly a knife is slashed across the wolfs stomach. They both go down a second later Stiles is up and walking toward them leaving the wolf with a knife in it's chest, dead._

_A gun appears in the boys hand and he's walking slowly keeping his balance as he fires round after round into the wolves fighting the Alpha. One of the wolves goes down, she can't hear it's heart beating. The two left fighting her are getting weaker. He must have gotten a couple rounds in each of them. She gets a couple good slashes on the wolves fighting her._

_The boy walks swiftly over to the wolf hold it's claws in her husband, her mate appears to be unconscious. Stiles walks up and shoots the wolf in the head. When it's on the ground he shoots twice more into it's chest. Moving his aim he takes the two holding her children down. The both yelp as they go down. Shots go into each wolves chests. She see Stiles drop his gun and walks up to where she is holding the two fighting her. She's about to tell him that they can let these two go but he whips out another knife and buries it in the back of one of the wolves, she watches it's eyes flash blue before dying._

_The last wolf throws her back and turns on the hunter. The wolf jumps at him and Stiles goes down. She can hear his head hit the floor and there is a high pitched yelp. Then the boy stands up and she realizes he spun them in the air so he landed on top. There is a final knife jammed up through the neck into the wolfs skull. She looks around at her healing family. They should be ok_ _in a while. In less then two minutes the boy had killed eight wolves. She hasn't killed that many at once. Her kids move to their father and hold him and look over his wounds holding their own with shaking hands._

_The boy looks around for another threat but seeing her relax mirrors her behavior. Then his phone is ringing. “Oh hey kitty cat. How are you doing?” He sounds almost normal._

_She can her Stiles' friend asking him if he's ok. “yeah, we're fine. All the baddies are dead. Yeah, Tyler can help me deal with the bodies. Hmm, yeah, it's almost time for my bosses to leave for the day so we can use the furnaces. Oh, do you want to order us some pizzas and come hang out. You can hear about how badass I was. Hehe, oh Ty, what do you want on your pizza?”_

_Her son looks like a fish out of water. Jaw dropped and moving without sound coming out. Stiles laughs and says he'll get a meatlovers for her son. “ok, I love you too. See you in a few.” and he hangs up._

_“You guys want to help me with the bodies? We can load two in my jeep, I hope you brought your truck Ty cause we're gonna need it. We can take the bodies back to my work and get rid of them like the hunters.” He starts pull his knife out of the wolf and clean it. “Come on. Chop chop people. I want that pizza.”_

_“Thank you Stiles, you helped keep my family safe” she says, trying to be formal, an Alpha thanking a human. But he smiles and shrugs his shoulders. “Ah, it's nothing, keeps my training sharp. Plus I’m sure they were asses.” He goes about loading them into his jeep. Tyler gets up and starts helping him._

John comes out of the memory gasping. “Yeah, your son is mildly scary. Now you see why I don't want my sweet innocent son with him?”

John wants to disagree, say that is son is perfect. But that was fucking creepy. If that had been the norm for Stiles during high school no wonder going to college had been such a culture shock. It really would have been like going from a war zone to being a civilian without any support system. No wonder it had been so hard for Stiles to adjust to college life. He was going to have to hug his son a lot when he came back from playing with the kids.

“Yeah, that was scary as hell. Was that the norm for here before it settled down?” He wants to know.

“I'm not sure, but from the rumors, yes, it was like that all the time here up to a couple years ago. Ok, I think I'll let you get some rest. Think about what I said. And if you can think of a way to break up our boys, let me know. And again, we're very happy you're alright.” With that she smirks at him and walks out the door.

John is going to have a long talk with Stiles and Derek. His deputy had never let on how bad it had been and neither had is son. He was going to to be pissed when he woke up from his nap. But for now he needed to sleep. The painkillers were kicking in and he was getting groggy.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stiles pov

Stiles was watching his kids play with Tyler. They were laughing and running around the picnic table. He loved listening to his kids play. He, on the other hand was keeping one eye on his kids and one eye scanning the area for threats. He knew that Beacon Hills had been mostly quiet when he left. But it paid to be vigilant. 

“Daddy daddy daddy.” Sasha raced over and wrapped himself around Stiles' leg. “Daddy is base. You can't get me now” 

Claudia and Tyler are running after him. “Nu uh. Daddy isn't base. Daddy, tell Sasha that you're not base. He's it now.”

“Actually, I think daddy is it now, and he's hungry” he fake roared the last work and raised his arms up. The kids screamed and ran trying to get behind Tyler. Stiles got Sasha in his arms and brought him up to his head “mmmm, monster want to eat. Nom nom nom.” 

“No daddy, don't eat me. no.” Sasha huffed out in between laughs. 

Tyler and Claudia move around Stiles. “We have to save him, Uncle Tyler. We can't let the monster eat Sasha.”

Sasha is squirming in his arms trying to get away. Tyler jumps on both of them wrapping his arms and spinning on the way down to take the force of the fall. A second later Claudia is on his back.

“Oh no, I've been defeated. The tigers and wolf have beaten me. Oh what shall I do?” He wails dramatically making the kids laugh even more. 

“I don't know kids. I think the monster needs some tickle torture!” Tyler's voice goes up an octave and then little fingers are all over Stiles making him laugh. 

“Oh Uncle Uncle. I give up.” He calls out and they all laugh. Some of the people watching them have indulgent smiles on their faces. They're watching a young family on a summer day. And like a little fly buzzing in his head he can't get the one horrible though out of his head “I don't love this man” fuck fuck fuck. 

They continue to play for a while until his kids perk up and flash their eyes and him. He moves away from them a little and slips his hand under the back of his shirt. Wrapping around the knife strapped to his back. He readies himself for an attack when he hears “There is my son. Being beat by children. I thought I raised you to at least be able to win against kids.” Alpha Renolds walks up laughing at them. 

“Patricia. How good to see you again. You guys all set up in the hotel?” He asks her. He can see a weird glimmer in her eye. She is hiding something. 

“We are. We made sure to bring up Tyler's stuff from the car.” Great way to not so subtle hint that Tyler isn't sleeping at his house. “I stopped back to drop off some get well flowers for you father. He seemed a little out of it after our talk to I let him fall back asleep. Tyler, why don't you take the kids in to see if he's woken up again and I'll have a talk with Stiles.” 

There is nothing of a suggestion in the way that she says that. Stiles kisses the tops of his kids heads and tells them he'll be along in a few minutes to see them. Tyler giving him a huge smile. 

“So, now that they are out of listening range, what did you want to talk to me about?” Might as well cut to the chase.

“Always one to cut the bull. Fine, I talked with your dad and we're in agreement. We don't think you should be with Tyler.” She drops that bomb like it's nothing. 

“um, ahh. I'm not sure how to respond to that.” He's making open mouth fish faces. 

“Don't get me wrong, I think you're an amazing young man. You make my pack stronger and safer. You stepped up to become a dad when most kids wouldn't have been able to handle it, and you transitioned into a single father remarkably. But you don't love my son, do you?” She says looking at him with kindness in her eyes. 

“I want you. I do like him and care about him. He's my best friend.” He tries to explain. 

“Some people aren't supposed to be our one and only's. They are supposed to come into our lives and enrich it. But it doesn't mean that they are the loves of our life. Did I ever tell you how I met Tyler's father?” She asks him. He shakes his head no. “Hehe, we were in high school. He was one of my friends, not a best friend, but someone who I said hi to and would hang out with some of the time. He followed me around like a puppy one night at a party in the woods. It got busted up and we took off running in the same direction. He kept up with me for a long time. Until we were very far from the party. We started walking to an old logging road I knew would get us back to town. A rogue omega found us. I shifted and pinned him. Once he realized I was from the local pack he apologized but the damage was done. The rabbit was out of the hat so to speak. I remember being so afraid as I turned around to face James. I was afraid I was going to lose a friend and maybe have to scare him into never telling anyone.”

She looks out over the park, eyes very distance but with a smile on her face. “I didn't realize but in the scuffle my shirt had been ripped mostly open. The first words out of James' mouth wasn't fear or discuss. The first words were, oh my god I can see your boobs. Then he spun around and said he was sorry and he really didn't get a good look. I remember almost falling down I started to laugh so hard. He took off his jacket and held it out for me. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen. He freaked out about ten minutes later, but it didn't matter, I had already started to fall. Hard. The next day he had a thousand questions for me. He got cuter with every question. By the end of it I asked him out. I have never stopped being madly passionately in love with my husband. If you're not in that kind of love with my son, let him go so he can find it with someone else.” 

He swallows uncomfortably. He can't talk. He's not sure what he wants to say. He's not sure there is anything he can say. And she's looking at him. Not with eyes of a wolf or an alpha, but as a mom. Eyes that are deep and full of compassion and pain. “Think about it. You have time. You're dad is going to be in the hospital for a few more days. And someone will have to be here to help out. While I'm sure his pack will be here to help out with cooking and after care then the physical rehab, if it was me, I'd prefer to have my kid looking after me.”

She stands up and stretches. “Think about it. You'll always be welcome with our pack. But you and my son both deserve to be with someone who is madly in love with you. If that's not my son, let him go.” Now she smiles ruefully. “And if that person who is yours happens to be that grumpy deputy who looks surprisingly like a less attractive version of my son, you really do have a type” Stiles is beet red at that “then let the wounds you have heal. I can see you've already let most of the anger go. Let the rest go as well. You can always kick the crap out of him for fun. Besides you and I both know that Tyler, he's not a soldier. He has no idea how to be one. Or ultimately, be with one. You deserve a mate who is as bad ass as you, who will match you. My son might be a wolf, but he's not a predator. You are. You should be with someone who understands that. My son never will. He's too whole inside.”

She leans in and nuzzles his cheek. “Drop Tyler off at the hotel later tonight. We'll meet and have breakfast tomorrow.” She throws that over her shoulder as she walks back to the parking lot. 

Sometimes dealing with an Alpha can feel like dealing with a boss of a company, they tend to give orders instead of suggestions. He would call in the morning and plan a breakfast. But now he had way too many ideas going through his head. He still had a huge pile of angst inside of him when he thought about Derek. Every time he saw that perfect jaw he wanted to break it, or lick it. Dammit, why do emotions have to be like this? All he wanted to do was come back, make sure he dad was ok and get back to the life he had in Veneta. Small town with no real threats on the horizon. Perfect place to raise his kids. 

Then the horrible voice in the back of his head tells him Beacon Hills would be safe for the kids. They were freaking tigers. He could open an office here without too much trouble. His dad was here. A dad he had just made up with and had years of back torture by tofu to administer. A dad it felt really good to be around. Damn his logical mind. That pesky voice kept talking. Derek did look good. He looked better then ever. And he missed, down to his bones, missed Scott. He still had the urge every time something happened to him to call Scott and tell him. 

He had enough with deep emotions for today. He was going to hug his dad. Get his kids and go to the store and make his kids dinner while they watched a movie. He wanted a few hours of normal. So that's what he was going to do. 

He went back into the hospital and grabs his kids. His dad was out like a light. He kissed his forehead and they left to load the car. He texted Derek and Scott saying his dad was asleep and should rest but was doing much better. The second after he sent the text off he froze, just looking at his phone. 

Tyler looked at him and huffed out and breath. “Updating the pack? You're slipping back into old habits.”

“Yeah, back a day and I'm already acting like I'm pack. God, this is annoying.” He sighs and starts his car.

“Don't worry. For two years you were part of their pack. It's a pheromone thing. Packs are just people who hangout, the wolves give of scents that affect humans too. You know that.” Tyler tries to explain. 

“I do. It's just weird to feel it again. Ok here is your stop. Your mom told me I was taking you to the hotel. Give everyone kisses for me.” He laughs as he tells Tyler. Tyler kisses him and then the kids before getting out. Stiles gets back on the road.

He drives on autopilot to the grocery store. He tries to ignore the multiple texts from Scott and Derek.   
Derek's text are simple 'thanks for letting me know. Please keep me informed'. He sends an ok for that one. Scott's texts are different, 'thanks for letting me know. It's so good to have you here. I missed you so much. If you need anything let me know. Want to hangout?'

He says he needs to get the kids dinner and to bed. He loads the kids into a cart and starts going through the aisles. Of course that's when he runs into Derek. Fuck.


	18. Chapter 18

Derek went through the rest of his day with a smile on his face. The Sheriff was ok. The pack he had always though was a rival for Stiles' affection was ok. They didn't want to fight the McCall pack for Stiles and his cubs. His mate was home and he was going to do everything in his power to make him stay. The rest of his work went fast. He almost caught up completely on his backed up reports when his shift was over. He decided to stop at the store and pick up a steak. He was craving red meat. 

He walked up and down a couple aisle when he got a whiff of his mates' scent in the air. He looked around and could see Stiles with his cubs walking with a cart full of food, mostly green stuff. He must be trying to make the Sheriff eat better again. 

He notices the cubs tense up and start sniffing the air. He's going to have to teach them to be more subtle, whatever they happen to be, or they're going to give themselves away. He can see Stiles subtly start to go for a weapon. Now that guy knows how to be subtle. Stiles smells of happiness and contentment. It's not a scent Derek had hoped to smell again. He knows that the scent will change if Stiles doesn't relax again so he calls out. 

“It's just me Stiles. I was getting some shopping done.” He explains. Two nights in a row he's be around Stiles, he doesn't want him to think he's stalking him. He hasn't done that since high school.

“Ah. That's nice. But you can't cook. What are you making?” Stiles looks at him with a smirk on his face. Ok, he only set dinner on fire once. He had been a little afraid of the grill so didn't check on the food in time. 

“I'm making a steak. It'll be fine. I've made plenty of steaks since you've been gone.” He tries to defend himself. 

“Hmm, I'm sure you've done plenty of a lot of things while I was gone.” He can hear the judgment in Stiles voice. A whiff of pain in his scent. He wants to explain, to tell him why again, but the twins lean in and hug their daddy. Stiles takes a deep breath over their heads. “But that's fine. We all did stuff over the years. If you can grill now that's great. Have a good night Derek.”

He watches his mate start to think about the groceries he needs and angles the cart to go down another aisle. He should let Stiles go, he knows this, but he says without really thinking “I was going to cook it on the broiler.”

“What? No, no no. It's California in the summer, you are not cooking a steak inside on a summer day. That's crazy.” He actually seems to be looking at Derek now. Really looking. “Fine. Buy your groceries and come to the house. I was going to make chicken for the kids but steaks is good too. They prefer red meat anyway. Plus it'll be fun to tell my dad we had steak when he's not getting that ever again. Meet us at my house in half an hour. I still need to get some more food for the week.”

His mate walks off and the twins watch him with tiny smiles. He can hear them whisper “bye creeperwolf” and fall on each other giggling. 

He goes through the check out line with a huge smile on his face. He wants to do a happy dance. He hasn't felt this light in years. He drives to the Sheriff's house and get out and waits. He's only there a couple minutes when Stiles pulls up. He moves to the car without thinking and starts to help one of the twins out of their car seat. Stiles gives him a smile while he gets the other twin. “Go wait on the porch for creeperwolf and I to get the bags.” 

He gets a chorus of “Yes daddy”'s . They grab the bags and Stiles leads them inside the house. He goes right to the dining room table and puts the bags there. “Derek help the kids put the groceries away, I'm going to start the grill. Leave the steaks out so I can season them before putting them on.” 

He heads out to the back deck without looking back. A part of Derek is annoyed that Stiles is giving him orders. The majority of him is just so damn happy that Stiles trusts him with the kids. He start pulling food out of the bags and handing it to the kids. They walk from the dining room over to the kitchen, Derek is thankful that he knows where things go or they'd have to wait for Stiles to come back. They get half the stuff put away when Stiles walks back in and grabs a bag on his way into the room. Trailing his fingers through the hair of his kids as he walks up. 

“Grill is on. Let's get this stuff put away and we can watch some tv until dinner is ready. Oh, turn on the stove. We'll make some fries to go with the steaks. A freezer pouch with veggies for green stuff.” He moves around efficiently putting things away and pulling out a tray for the fries. They are in the oven then Stiles is picking up Claudia and putting her in Derek's arms. Sasha is next. “Little fingers are not supposed to be around cooking ovens.” 

Stiles leans in and nuzzles the kids in Derek's arms. Derek closes his eyes and inhales the smell of his mate and cubs. It's the best smell in the entire world. Stiles laughs and moves him around until he's out of the kitchen. Derek feels the heat of Stiles hands on his body. God that feels so good. Stiles walks behind him pushing him slightly into the living room. Derek wants to stop and rub his back on Stiles' front. But he has the kids in his arms and that will be awkward to get aroused now. 

He sits on the floor and starts to play with the kids. “Creeperwolf. Will you color with me?” Claudia asks him. He sits on the carpet and puts Claudia on his lap while they color on the coffee table. Sasha wants to play with building blocks. Sasha sits next to the werewolf. Derek wants to put his arm around he boy and pull him close. But he's not sure he's allowed to yet. Claudia tells him about playing in the park and how her Uncle Tyler is so great at playing tag. 

“Well. I'm pretty good at playing tag too. Maybe after dinner we can play in the backyard? Oh, maybe we can gang up and get your daddy?” He play whispers really loudly. Sasha perks up and looks at him like he's awesome. 

“Yeah, you can help us get daddy. We never get him. He always tickles us and we don't get him. But you can help us tickle daddy.” Sasha almost yells he's talking so loud. He's a very excited boy. He leans down and scent marks the boys cheeks. The little boy giggles and falls down on his back laughing. “Your face is tickly.” 

He realizes he has stubble. Claudia gets up and turns around “I want to feel your tickly face.” She starts to rub her face on his cheeks while she giggles. “Your face is tickly. Daddy's face doesn't get tickly like that. Why does your face get tickly?”

“Well. I have more hair on my face then your daddy does. That's why my face feels like this.” He tells her while she rubs her hands on his cheeks. He really likes the way this feels. 

They go back to playing. Claudia moves and helps Sasha build a tower of blocks. The get it almost as tall as themselves when the start to look very much like Stiles for a second. They the push the tower over on Derek laughing while he sputters from all the blocks now in his lap. He decides to play along. He growls and says “Now you've done it. I'm going to have to get you now.”

He gets up on all fours and starts to move slowly at the kids. They scream and laugh and jump on him. He playfully makes swipes at them. Almost grabbing them, he lets them get away at the last second. He knows they're not fully human. They are faster and stronger then his human cousins were when they were children. They play like this for a while. He can hear Stiles move around in the kitchen coming in and out of the backdoor. Then he smells it. It smells like mate, but more. It's his mates scent overlaid with lust and something more. Something Derek can't put a name too. He looks over and Stiles is watching them play with a soft smile on his face. 

“Dinner is almost ready. Why don't you two wash up and get ready. Derek you can help me set the table.” Stiles tells them and walks back around the corner. Derek realizes now he hasn't had a real conversation with Stiles yet. It's only been suggestions and small talk. He wants to fall to his knees in front of Stiles and plead his case, beg for mercy and beg for his love. But he knows it's not that time for that yet. They have to take care of the twins and after they're in bed he's going to try to have a real conversation. He fully believes that he's going to get stabbed at least once during the talk. He hopes that Stiles doesn't use a wolvesbane knife. 

He sets the table as Stiles directs him. The twins walk back in and ask Derek for help in the bathroom. They can't reach the sink. He melts a little and walks in and holds them up under their arms while they wash their hands. When they walk back into the dining room Stiles looks at him with a face he's never seen before. He's not sure how to interpret it. 

Dinner is good. The kids need help cutting up their food. Derek takes Claudia's plate and Stiles takes Sasha's. They ask Derek about their daddy. They want to know why their daddy doesn't like the wolves here. He sputters out a couple “Um, um”s. 

“Well kids. Creeper wolf.” Stiles smiles at the term, “And you're Uncle Scotty did some really stupid things and were mean to your daddy when I was in high school. They made it so daddy wanted to leave and never come back. You know when your friend Aaron pushed Sasha into the ground and you wanted to yell and push him back?” The kids nod their heads.

“Ok then. Daddy left cause he wanted to yell and push Creeperwolf and Uncle Scotty all the time. And that's not healthy is it?” Derek doesn't want to talk and interrupt Stiles, but he wants to explain why he was mean to their daddy. The kids shake their heads no at their fathers question. “But after a couple weeks when Aaron apologized and promised to be nice to you, you guys started to play again and became friends again. But that it took a couple weeks of playing before you let Sasha be near Aaron? That can happen with grown up too. So that's why daddy doesn't like the wolves here a lot.”

Derek doesn't know what to say. Was that just a lesson on being nice for the kids? Or was it something deeper? Stiles telling them he's ready for them to apologize, maybe. Or warning him that he's not ready yet? God he just wants to know. 

The rest of dinner is slow and boring. But incredibly nice. The kids eat and tell their dad about playing with their new toy, Derek. Stiles suggests that next time they should get Derek to be their pony. They look at him with such hope he agrees to it. Which leads to Stiles clearing the table and loading the dishwasher while Derek plays with the kids. 

It's on his eight or ninth trip around the coffee table with the twins on his back with cries of “faster pony, faster”, that he hears something that makes his whole heart melt. Stiles is laughing. A full on belly laugh. He's holding his stomach and his face is red. The kids laugh with their daddy giving into the good mood. He continues playing while Stiles says he heading upstairs to get the kids bed ready. He listens to Stiles move around upstairs. He could get used to this. Playing with the kids. They are pretty awesome. 

Stiles comes down a few minutes later and turns the tv on. “It's time to start winding down. It's almost bed time. Come on. We'll watch some tv before bed.”

Derek doesn't know what to do so he goes along with the kids and sits on the couch. Claudia climbs up onto his lap and settles in while Sasha sits on his daddy's lap. The kids start to nod off pretty quickly. The warmth of sitting on the couch with the kids on them makes Derek start to feel sleepy too. He wants to stay. The kids fall asleep after a little while. Stiles picks up Sasha and whispers for him to get Claudia. They walk upstairs together in silence. Stiles puts Sasha in the guest bed and takes his shirt off. He tucks it partially under Sasha and has Derek put Claudia on the other half. Now he really knows for sure they're not human. Stiles finishes tucking them in. kisses their heads. Whispers he loves them. 

Derek walks downstairs with Stiles. He's watching all the beautiful pale skin with those perfect moles. He wants nothing more then to start licking and kissing his way between those moles. They get down to the landing and he can see Stiles take a deep breath. Like he's about to suggest that it's time for Derek to leave. Derek doesn't even think. He falls to his knees and pushes his face into Stiles stomach. He gets lost for just a second in the perfect mix of the smell of mate and the perfect heat coming from Stiles body. A sob of emotion tears itself from his mouth. 

“Please Stiles. Please” He doesn't even know what he's begging for, for forgiveness, for absolution, for Stiles to take him back? He moves his hands up around to hold Stiles closer. He feels the hidden knife at Stiles back. Stiles body feels so perfect in his hands. He licks Stiles hard stomach moaning at the taste of his mate. He sees the wetness his tongue and tears leave on Stiles body. “Please Stiles. I love you so much Stiles. There hasn't been a day I haven't been I love with you. Don't leave again. Love me back, please Stiles. Please please please.”

He continues kissing and licking Stiles perfect stomach while Stiles remains frozen. He's never been this aroused and yet he can't stop crying. He pulls back and looks up at his mate's face. Stiles' eyes are huge and wet. His mate is trying not to cry. Stiles hands are moving behind Derek. He releases a sob of gratitude as Stiles places his hands on the back of Derek's head. Not pulling him closer, just laying them on his hair. Stiles whole body go lax for just a second then he's pulling away with a hiccuped sob. “I can't, oh god, I can't Derek. It's still hurts too much. Not yet. I can't. I've never been in more pain that that day.”

His mate is full on sobbing now. The smell of hurt and pain in the air makes Derek want to curl up and die. He knows he did this to his mate. He wounded his mate in the worst way. He made his mate believe he didn't love him. He was going to spend the rest of his life proving to his mate that he loved him. “Stiles, please. I know I hurt you. I know I did. I was just so stupid. I should have let you decide. I should have asked you to leave, grow up and decide what you wanted. I'm so sorry I made those choices for you. I had no right. I know that. I just couldn't see another mark on your body from this stupid fight.” He hangs his head, his hands still in the air from letting Stiles move away. “I didn't know the major fights were already done. I didn't know the territory would settle down after you left. When you came home the first summer I was going to take me be back. But you were so full of anger and I did that to you. I couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror. I broke my mates heart. Please Stiles, please.”

Stiles has tears running down his face. He looks conflicted, like his face is going to break apart from the emotions trying to get out. Then he falls to his knees in front of Derek. With a desperate sound his mate puts his lips against his own, the flavor of his mate bursting on his tongue. Stiles clings to him for just a couple heartbeats. Derek's hands go around Stiles like an instinct. Like his hands need to be on Stiles' body. Then Stiles pushes him away. “ I... I.. Derek. I can't. You have no idea how much you hurt me. I can't forgive you yet. I just can't. You need to leave.” 

He gets up and goes into the kitchen. He listens for a minute as Stiles pulls himself together. He gets up and walks out the door. He wants to keep crying but he holds on to what Stiles said. I know he has years of making up for but Stiles in all his pain said “not yet”. He has a chance.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is in Stiles' POV. Sorry it's been so long since I updated. I had a couple chapters written and my computer freaked out and lost them. so i'm going to be trying to put out a couple chapters this week.

Stiles woke up to a raging hardon. He could still taste Derek on his lips. Feel where his mate had touched his stomach. He groaned and went to shower. In the shower he's ashamed to admit he relieved himself thinking about Derek. He felt like a horny teen again. And if he didn't actually wash were Derek licked him, then that's his business and no one else gets a say. Drying himself off he dressed and walked into the guest room to wake up his cubs. They looked so cute when they were asleep and not climbing all over everything. 

“Come on you two. It's time for your bath. You're beginning to smell all stinking.” He said making a face so the kids would know he was joking. They both giggled and fell into his arms at the same time. Thank god he worked out or he'd drop them a lot more. 

After barely staying dry while he bathed them he got then clean and dressed. “Ok you two. We're going to have a really fun today. We're going to tell Grandpa about you being tigers.” 

They both start to squeal and jump with excitement. “But daddy, you always said we couldn't show anyone but the wolves?”

“Well Sasha, grandpa is in a wolf pack so he's kinda like a wolf. So it's ok that we show him.” He nuzzles Sasha's cheeks to scent him. Claudia gets a similar treatment. “But we still have to be good even when we let our tigers out. We can go for a run in the preserve later today to really go wild. That will make my little kitties feel better.”

They laugh at being called kitties. He feeds them breakfast and they load into the car. He makes sure to throw some books into a bag so his dad can read to them if he wants. He's hoping his dad will be less out of it today. Since he's going to have to actually have a couple deep talks today. He's going to have to get Scott to meet with the Renolds pack and then talk to Tyler. His heart actually aches at that though. But his body responded to Derek touching him more intensely then it has with anyone in years. And Tyler deserves to be with someone who feels that much passion when they touch, and that person sadly is not Stiles. Alpha Renolds was right. Last night Tyler would have been freaked out by feeling a knife on Stiles, Derek just took it as a norm. That little fact, tiny and mostly insignificant, showed Stiles more then anything that Tyler would never be comfortable with Stiles and his past. 

They arrive at the hospital and head to his dad's room. When they get there most of the pack is already there, Scott, Allison, Isaac and Derek. The ones closest to the Sheriff, the ones who had been closest to Stiles. Everyone is laughing with his dad when they walk in. Scott looks down with a guilty expression. Hmm, he'll ask the kids later if they were talking about him. And he'd just have to convince himself that using his kids super human hearing wasn't exploitation, but the kids would probably want to tell him anyway. They were turning into huge gossips. He'd have to have a talk to them about that before they got to school. 

Derek looks at him and says “Morning Stiles. Did you and the kids sleep well?” Hmm, he's trying to be nice. Weird. 

“We did. These two got a bath this morning. Children always seem to need a bath.” He leans over and kisses the tops of the kids' heads. 

“You did too kid. You and Scott always seem to be dirty. It drove your mother nuts.” His dad adds to the conversation. 

“I'm sure I was a delight as a child. It was all Scott getting us dirty.” He winks over and Scott who is looking at him with the biggest puppy eyes. 

“I wasn't dirty. You were.” Scott even argues like a cute little puppy. 

“Whatever. How are you feeling today pops?” He goes over and hugs his dad. He picks up the kids one at a time and puts them on the bed with his father. His dad wraps his good arm around both kids. His other arm is still in a sling. 

“Well, the doctors say I'll be able to go home in a couple days. They just want to watch for infection. They say I might be able to go home sooner if they know I'll have a fancy pants doctor at home to take care of me. Hint hint. Doctor Stilinski.” He dad even gives him the 'you lied to me for years so you should still be trying to make it up to me' face. 

“Of course I can stay and take care of you pops. If I didn't, I know you'd be convincing all these push overs to bring you fast food to eat. And that's not going to happen. You're never eating fatty food again if I can help it.” He gives his dad a huge smile. 

“Crap. Why didn't I stop you guys from calling him? Now he's going to ruin my life.” His dad is whining now. 

“Don't be sad Grandpa. We'll be here with you.” Claudia makes kissy faces at him. His dad pulls her closer and kisses her head. 

“Ok, I guess any torture your father can come up with is worth it to get more grand kid kisses.” His dad says laughing. “So what do you guys have planned for today? You can't stay in this room all day with me. I'll get bored with you.”

“Now we feel loved. I know what you really want. You want some alone time to get your flirt on with Melisa. Dirty old man. That women is a saint putting up with Scott all these years. This slow burn to get with her just isn't working dad. Give it up.” He decides to tease him back. He did get his sense of humor for his dad. Derek moves up behind him. He can feel the wolf's heat on his back. It surprises him when he doesn't feel the need to keep a hand free for a weapon. Hmm, he even feels that need when Tyler is around and that wolf is practically house broken. 

“Stiles, your dad and my mom are not getting together. It's been years of us trying and it hasn't taken.” Scott laughs and whines at the same time. The idea of his mom having sex freaks him out. While Stiles thinks his dad needs to get some. 

“Yeah, but now he's hurt and she's a nurse. So it's that whole care giving scenario. But that's enough talking about this in front of my kids. They are innocent here. Back to what do to today.” He moves the conversation along.

“Well. You could take the kids to the park or to the movies. I know that some of the older deputies would love to see you again and be introduced to the kids. I have pictures of them up all over. And you could always stop by a real estate office and see how the house market is faring in our small town.” His dad even does the hint hint eye brows. 

“Oh Grandpa, daddy said we get to go running today. And that we can show you our tigers.” Then his perfect little daughter shifts into her beta form without a second thought. The whole room freezes. “Daddy says he loves our tiger eyes. Do you like my tiger eyes grandpa?”

“So, did I ever mention that Catherine was a weretiger?” He jokes trying to put the room at ease. 

“No son, you never did mention that. Or that my grandkids could turn into kitties” He can hear his dad trying to stay calm but his heart is probably racing from the look in his eyes. 

“Oh my bad. Don't worry. They have complete control, way more control then wolves do. They can even do full shifts, but it tuckers them out so they have to take a cat nap after then turn. Ok guys you can talk. They're not going to attack. Jeez.” The wolves all look a little green. He leans in and rubs his cheeks on the top of Claudia's head, laughing at the faces his dad is making. Sasha gives him sad kitty eyes so he get's scent marked too. “Now you both smell like daddy. Oh, don't scent mark them until they ask. They think werewolves smell bad. Just saying.”

Everyone is looking at him like he's crazy. Derek is looking at him like he's a puzzling to solve. Scott pushes himself off from the wall and says “Stiles, can we talk to you outside for a minute? We should probably talk about this.” Scott walks out of the room and the rest of the pack follows. Hmm, well he'll go when he's damn well ready to.

“Ok kids, daddy is going to go talk with Uncle Scotty and the pack. Maybe if you're really good and ask him really nicely Grandpa will read to you while I'm gone.” He reaches into the back to pull out the kids favorite book Dr Suess' I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today. He hands the book to his dad and pets both kids heads. His dad starts to laugh as he reads the title. “Turn back so you don't worry any of the nurses. We can shift back when we go to the Preserve and run around. Be good for Grandpa. I'll be back in a couple minutes.”

He walks out of the room and starts walking down the hall to find an exit. The pack can follow him if they want but he's not going to have a fight where his kids can hear it. The pack falls in line behind him. He walks across the parking lot to the park. It's an open area in case he wants to throw a couple punches or have a screaming fight or break down crying. Any of those were on the table. He turns and braces himself for a fight. 

“Tigers, Stiles! Tigers?” Scott yells out. “How could you not tell us you were dating a weretiger, Stiles? How did you even meet her? And how could you have kids that aren't wolves?”

There is it. Scott is pissed that he was with a different type of shifter. “For one Scott. You kicked me out of the pack so you don't get any say in what happens to me. Ever. And I met her in Portland. She became my best friend. My new version of you, but with fun sexy times. As for the dating thing. I never actually dated her. And after your idiocy I wasn't too keen on trusting wolves, Scott. I almost killed Tyler the day I met him. Hell I almost killed Catherine. The truth of the matter is you have no say in anything that happened to me so you don't get to be angry that I never told you about my kids. It's actually kind of nice, Scott, knowing I was right. That you are a jerk. A self-centered Alpha with poor leadership skills who keeps a territory because of his pack. And not him. I killed the first five major bad guys that wanted to kill you, Scott. You wanted to hug it out. The only reason I even let you back into my life at all, was that Catherine suggested I should. I had kids for fuck sake Scott. How about you grow the hell up. You're pissed I did alright without the pack. I went off to school after you assholes threw me away and I rocked. I met an amazing women and had kids.” Derek whines at that. “We haven't had a real conversation in nearly five years. Did you know that I've been asked to join the Renolds pack. My kids too before you pull that vaguely racist bit about them not being wolves, you have a hunter and a banshee in your pack. I don't know why I even came back. I'm done.”

He starts walking away from the pack. Before he gets three feet away he feels one of the wolves grab for him. He reacts on instinct and moves into a fall making the wolf flip over, he has a knife out and at Scott's neck before he can think. “Never do that again Alpha.” he spits out. 

“Stiles.” Fuck. Scott's crying. Fuck fuck fuck. Scott's crying. The rest of the pack is moving to surround them so no one can see what they are doing. “We didn't want you to leave, we just wanted you to have a normal life. I'm so sorry Stiles. I love your kids. It's awesome that they're tigers. They rock. I'm sorry I listened to Derek. He's a dummy.” 

Crying Scott is like kryptonite. He can't take it. He puts the knife away and tries to stand up but Scott grabs his shoulders and pulls him down and buries his face in the wolfs neck. Scott's Alpha instincts must be screaming at him to not let anything this close to his neck. But here he is, with his face in Scott's neck. He hates it but the smell of wolf is actually making him relax. Scott is babbling apologies over and over. Tell him how he wanted to call him everyday and just show up at his house and tell him he wanted his brother back. That he should have never listened to Derek. That he loved him. Dammit. 

Stiles can feel his resistance crumbling. It's been years since he actually felt the whole white hot rage thing with the pack. The wounds left by them had mostly healed. Catherine had helped him learn to be happy again. The twins had made him feel near limitless joy, and that pushed a lot of the pain of losing the pack out of his life. Tyler had made him feel like he should be loved. Now the triple play of his dad, then Derek and now Scott all crying and begging him for forgiveness is taking a sledge hammer to the last foundations of his anger. He really didn't want to be this weak. To feel like his anger didn't mean anything. 

But he can still feel how loved he felt in high school when he was part of this pack. The all nighters full of movies and junk food. The weird cuddle piles, Derek had yelled when he called them puppy piles, the inappropriate touching all the time. It had felt pretty damn amazing. Many of their classmates had thought they were in in a weird polyamourous group relationship. So many feeling seem to be pushing at the foundations of his anger. Wiping it out. Memories of Derek flood his mind. The hours of holding each other, the kisses, and oh god his knot. When Derek hand knotted him, the look on Derek's face had been so relaxed and free. He seemed young and carefree. Like a person who's family hadn't been killed. Stiles had loved seeing that face. And his knot made Stiles cum so hard he'd pass out. 

Then there was Derek playing with his freakin kids. They rode him like a pony. The levels of cute were off the chart. While he always was appreciative of when Tyler helped and he trusted him without a doubt with his kids, he didn't get the weird heart growing two sizes feeling watching Tyler play with the kids. It was freaking cute but watching Derek play with them made him feel like he was home. Like he was watching old home movies of his parents with him as a kid. He's trying to fight it. It feels like fighting a current in a river a slow steady pressure pushing on him. 

Fine. The universe and his asshole heart were clearly pushing this on him. He might as well go with it. He can almost hear all the pack sigh at the same time he stops fighting Scott. He lets his back release just staying at Scott's neck, inhaling the scent of wolf. He decides to take it a little further and rubs his face into Scott's face. He has to hold back ridicule and laughter when Scott makes happy dog whimper noises. “God you're a puppy” he mumbles into Scott's skin. 

“Ahh tickles.” Scott jerks his head away from Stiles. 

“Oh my god are you twelve?” He teases the words out laughing at his old friend. He pushes himself up so he's half straddling Scott. He wants to get up but before he can use the momentum to move up Derek's face is planted in his neck with human teeth over the long healed mark. He feels Derek's tongue trying to slobber all over the mark. Now Stiles loves how this feels, but way to fucking soon. He reaches up and grabs Derek's hair, and for a second Derek lets out an almost pornographic noise, but Stiles is pulling sharp and hard forcing Derek off balance. With a twist of his body he has Derek's body exposed and punches him directly in the nuts.

“Nuh uh. Bad dog, no biscuit.” Derek goes down like a sack of potatoes. “Just cause I decide to stop hating you doesn't mean you get to touch me like that.”

Scott looks shocked at Stiles actions. The others all look like they're trying to not laugh. Isaac gives in and bursts out laughing, hard. Like doubling over laughing hard. That triggers Allison. They are holding each other up so they don't fall, but it's a close thing. Scott starts to huff large breaths then he's laughing too. He can actually feel all of Scott's body moving under him while they laugh at Derek. It's a little weird. He looks over at Derek on the ground and he can't hold it back either. He buries his face in Scott's chest and starts laughing. Being all rage filled just went out the window. Scott's arms wrap around Stiles holding him close while they all keep laughing.

“I know you're all enjoying yourselves, but I feel like I'm going to puke.” Derek whines still laying on the ground holding his groin. This triggers even harder laughing. Stiles feels like he's floating for a couple seconds. Everything feels good. The scent of the pack is filling his mind with all the good memories of the past. 

“Dammit, this is the part we all laugh and realize we still love each other. I always hated this part of the movie. And I was enjoying my righteous anger.” He says grumbling and laughing at the same time. 

Scott rubs his face all over the top of Stiles' head. He hopes no one is looking at their group. It would be hard to explain what the hell is happening. “If it will make you feel better you can punch him in the nuts everyday until you forgive us. As his Alpha I give you permission. We can probably get permission from you dad too as his boss.” 

The whole pack is lightly giggling now. Some of them wiping away tears from laughing so hard. He feels Allison and Isaac move to kneel and their hands are on his back, rubbing their scent into his cloths. Damn weird instincts from belonging to a pack, even Stiles knows what they are doing. He does it to the twins all the time. He pushes off of Scott's chest and stands up while Isaac and Allison leave their hands on me, moving up to stand with him. He reaches down and holds his hand for Scott to grab. He knows the Alpha doesn't need his help, but it's a good gesture. He misses the random pack touching. He touched Catherine and the kids that way. And sometime Tyler. But not the rest of the Renolds pack. He actually thought they were a little scared of him. He hadn't hurt any of the too badly during training. But they took their cues from the Alpha. 

He pulled Scott up and gave him the half arm guy hug. He had to keep his masculinity after all. He had only been basically cuddling with the wolf a minute ago. Derek pulled himself up and stood awkwardly next to them. Stiles looked over “No touching without permission, Sourwolf. Last night was a fluke.”

Scott looks between the two of them. “What happened last night?”

“Ummm, Derek was over for dinner and he kinda fell on his knees and begged me to forgive him. I kinda let him kiss me. Which I shouldn't have I know that.” He tries to defend himself. 

“Dude!” He can hear the judgment in Scott's voice. 

“I know” He says. Looking at the ground. 

“Dude! You totally lied there. You kiss him.” Scott accuses. 

“I know. I know.” Stiles flails his arms up. They are lost in their own little world of best friend communication while everyone else looks at them like they are idiots. “Ok ok. Enough of all this girly stuff” He gets a smack to the back of his head from Allison. “Let's talk about meeting with the Renolds pack then we can get back to all these emotions.”

Scott wipes his face off and buries his nose in Stiles neck. “What do you think we should do? You know them best. Should we me all badass and strong or traditional and friendly?” 

Apparently Scott is going to have this conversation from Stiles' neck. Ok, yeah that's not going to start any weird rumors around town. “Well. Alpha Renolds already wants peace between the packs. So I'm thinking an informal dinner with lots of polite behavior. I'm looking at you Sourwolf. No growling. He pack is huge. So pissing her off is a really bad idea. I'm thinking the basic 'you call me if one of your pack is coming through the territory I'll you if one of mine is' thing should be goon enough to start. Her territory is far enough away that you won't have to deal with them all the time. Anything else you feel like doing is your think, you're the Alpha.”

They all listen to him nodding along with his comments. He was never the official second of the pack, that was Derek, but he was pretty damn cool. Scott gets this little unsure expression on his face. “Scott, do you want me to call her for you?” He asks in his most condescending parent voice. 

Scott nods hid head. “Well, you just know her better then I do. So she'd me more inclined to listen to you. Plus you're dating her son. That's got to mean something to her.”

At that last comment Stiles knows his heart beat freaks out. The dating her son part probably is a problem for her since a day ago she said she didn't want him to be dating her son. “Let's not bring up that part Scott. There's some things I'm going to have to talk to Tyler about. But yeah, I can call her for you and set up a meeting. But only cause you're the cutest little alpha I know.”

Scott rolls his eyes and just nods his head. Stiles takes out his phone and dials. “Hey Patricia. It's good to hear from you too. Thank you so much, yes my dad is doing much better. I might be able to take him home tomorrow if I promise the doctors that I'll watch him like a hawk. Haha, yes Scott asked me to call you.” He reaches over and scratches behind Scottt's ear. “Yes tonight over dinner would be a great time to discuss pack issues. How about Millie's? I'll text you the address. But it's very easy to find. I'll call Tyler is a few, I'm going to take the kids for a run in the Preserve later. He's nodding his head? Ok cool. I guess we'll see you later then.”

He hangs up. “See Scott. That wasn't too bad now, was it?”

Everyone laughs along with him. He takes a deep breath and feels a sense of belonging. Dammit, he really was going to make them all suffer for much much longer. Screw it. He had kids, he was too damn tired from keeping up after twins to hold on to a grudge. “Ok, I'm going to go spend an hour with my dad then go to the Preserve and run with the kids. Tyler's coming too. Who would like to come with us?”

Most of the pack says they have to get to work today. Derek looks at him and says “I'm off today. I was going to go to the office and help the back log of work since your dad is out but I could meet you in the Preserve and run.”

He seems so unsure that Stiles wants to laugh like a comic book bad guy. Instead he just tells him. “Cool. See you there in like an hour and a half?” 

Derek nods his head fast but doesn't talk. They all break away and he heads back into the hospital to see his dad. He can hear his kids giggling down the hall from his dads room. He smiles just from the sound. He turns the corner into the room. His dad is sitting up with a kid on each leg with his hands on their bellies making growling noises while he tickles them. 

“Daddy daddy. Save us. Grandpa says tigers have no power against the tickle monster” Sasha says giggling and flashing his eyes. The kids are probably loving not having to hide the tiger in them. They know when they go to school they won't be able to show the tiger at all. 

Stiles strikes the superman pose and laughs “Don't worry tiny children. Super daddy is here to save the day.” He jumps over and play tackles his dad. Carefully moving his arms around his dads body to keep from touching anything on his dads body that might. “Climb on me little ones. I shall save you.”

The kids climb on his back, he turns and puts them on the floor kissing their heads, then his dad grabs him and pulls him across his lap shoving his fingers playfully into Stiles' sides. “Ahh noooo. The tickle monster has me too. Run kids. Run and save yourselves.” He cries out as he laughing. 

The twins are holding on to each other giggling. His dad is laughing and dropping kisses onto the top of his head. Claudia moves to the door making sniffing noises. “Oh Oh, Creeper wolf. Help us! The tickle monster had daddy.” 

Stiles almost falls off the bed laughing when Derek comes into the room with a look that Stiles can't place on his face. It looks like a cross between constipated and surprised. It makes Stiles laugh as much as his dad tickling him does. Derek visibly shakes himself from whatever he was thinking and smiles. Claudia pulls him down and puts her hands on his face. “Creeperwolf. You have you help daddy. Grandpa is a tickle monster. Daddy can't take us for a run if the tickle monster has him” 

She sounds so cute that Stiles can see Derek start melt under her will. She's going to have the wolf wrapped around her little finger soon. Derek stands up and growls. “I'll save him.” His voice is graveling and sharp but Stiles can hear him trying not to laugh. 

Derek walks over and growls at the Sheriff. “Tickle monster, I'm afraid you're under a arrest. There is no tickling allow on the premises.” He sounds so official that Stiles starts to hiccup from laughing even harder. His dad stops the tickling but he can feel Derek's hand on his back comforting him. Stiles stands up and moves away from the bed. His dad is beaming a huge smile at him. Even Derek seems to be less broody and smiling. 

He leans over and picks up Sasha who is laughing on the floor. Claudia walks up to Derek and makes pick me up hands at him. He picks her up without looking to Stiles for approval. He's not sure how he feels about that. “Thank you for saving daddy, Creeperwolf. Even if you do smell bad.”

Stiles bursts out laughing at that. Derek makes a face like he wants to defend himself. “Sorry. They think wolves smell bad. They'll get used to it. And be polite. You apologize right now Claudia.”

She pouts a little but says she's sorry and kisses Derek's cheek. There's the line. “Come on Claudia let's go take you two to the potty so Derek can chat with Grandpa.” 

He takes the twins to the bathroom, leaving the room with a smile to his dad. Ok, that was weird. He's not really sure he's upset with Derek. It just felt really different to see his kids with the wolf. There had been a time when he had though they would have their own kids. He really liked watching Derek with his kids. God, what the hell was wrong with him?

He headed back to his dads room with the kids. They ran ahead and jumped up on their grandfather. He again yelled ahead that they need to be careful of him and don't hurt their grandpa. His dad yelled out the door “You're not the boss of me. They can jump on me if they want to.” This is met with a chorus of yays. He shakes his head and walks into the room. Derek is smiling at him. He must be oozing good smells from being so content. 

“Come on kids. Say bye to Grandpa. We're going to head to the Preserve to go for a real run. You two can even shift to run.” This makes the kids really excited. They hadn't found a place beside the backyard to run in while shifted. They smother his dad in kisses before hoping down. He leans in and hugs his dad goodbye. His dad looks comfortable, truly comfortable. With a small pang he realizes he hasn't seen his dad this relaxed in a years. He knows they fucked up, but seeing his dad like this, makes him glad he started to let it all go. Damn, being a grown up sucks sometimes. 

They walk as a group with Derek to the parking lot. “We're going to head over and meet up with Tyler and pick him up for the run. See you in like twenty?” 

“Sure thing. I'll see you then.” He starts to walk off but Claudia stops him and demands hugs. Stiles hides a smirk. She has him wrapped around her little finger. Derek is officially hooked on his daughter. He loads the kids up and heads to the hotel to pick up Tyler, who he plans on dumping later. This is going to be awkward. I guess that's just my life.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut towards the end

Derek walked back to his car listening to the sounds of Stiles and his kids. He couldn't fight the smile on his face. He could still smell Stiles and the twins on him. He didn't think he was being too insane to say he wanted to smell like them for the rest of his life. He wanted his home filled with the sounds of those two little kids and his bed to smell like his mate. He decided in just a couple feet of walking that he wasn't letting Stiles leave again unless it was to pack up his house and come back to Beacon Hills. He didn't care if he had to kidnap the man, beg on his knees or as a last effort do a sexy strip show. His mate wasn't getting away from him. 

He swung by a deli on the way to the Preserve and picked up a selection of sandwiches and some drinks for after the run. He wanted to show Stiles that he and the kids were a priority. He would even the nice and polite to Tyler. He didn't like that fucking wolf. He looked like he could be his cousin. A part of him hoped his mate had picked the wolf since he reminded him of Derek. He had to fight claws from coming out for a minute at the though to his mate with a different wolf. He was a little happy that the twins weren't wolves because that would have meant that Stiles had created like with another wolf and that made Derek want to howl in pain. 

He had never met any weretigers so he wasn't sure what traditions they had. But knowing Stiles, he was basically raising them as wolves. He huffed out a laugh, leave it to Stiles to have children with a tiger. He was like a magnet for supernatural things. He was amazing like that. He wanted to be with his mate, but he knew he had a ton of crap to crawl through before the boy would be happy with him again. But he was willing to do anything. 

He arrived at the Preserve. He knew without really trying that Stiles meant his old house as the meeting spot. He only had to wait a couple minutes for Stiles. He could hear his car coming up. The kids talking to their father. The car rolled around a bend and pulled up to the house. Stiles got out of the car and looked at him with shock on his face. 

“Derek, what is all this?” He is taking in the house with his eyes. He keeps looking from the house to Derek. He can see the other wolf helping the twins out of their car seats. He wants to flash his eyes at the other wolf for touching his cubs. 

“Well. The loft got old after a while. When I started at the Station I realized I needed a more publicly accepted house. So I got the ball rolling on getting this back from the county. They were happy to get rid of it so it wouldn’t be a safety hazard anymore. It took a while but it's done. Most of the pack have been living in it for a couple years.” He doesn't want to piss Stiles off but he wants to be honest. He knows he's not going to be happy that they all live there and haven't told him. He can see Stiles face flash to hurt before settling on just resigned. 

“Well it looks good. I'm sure the pack likes being all together. So kids, you two ready to go for a real run?” He turns from Derek and leans over to be closer to the kids. Derek wants to go up and hug him but he knows it's too soon. The kids chorus agreement and they head as a group into the wooded area behind the house. Stiles takes off his jacket and Derek can see a gun hidden under his shirt in the back. He knows from history that Stiles probably has a couple knifes on him. 

The other wolf, he really doesn’t want to say his name even in his head, picks up one of the kids and nuzzles his face into the child’s cheeks while they giggle. Stiles watches with a smile on his face. A content smell wafting from him for a minute. “You two are going to have fun with daddy and me. Oh, and Creeperwolf. Hehe, sorry they kept telling me about Creeperwolf in the car.” 

The wolf has such a happy go lucky look on his face and sounds so freakin happy that Derek wants to punch him. He can feel the sincerity coming off of the strange wolf. What the hell is Stiles doing with someone so nice? Stiles is a sarcastic asshole. How does this guy ever get his jokes?

“That's alright. Stiles nickname for me for years was Sourwolf. So of course his kids give me one too.” Yeah, remind him that Stiles and I have a past. “They can call me whatever they feel like calling me.”

The other wolf smiles and nods his head. He reminds Derek of Scott right when he was bitten. He wanted to punch Scott most of the time then too. Stiles laughs and Derek wants to kiss him. Stiles is watching him with a smirk on his face like he knows what Derek is thinking. 

“Ok kids, you can shift for our run, just shift back if you hear anyone coming. We're going to run for a while then play 'attack daddy'.” Derek wants to just sit and listen to Stiles talk. He sounds so warm and loving when he's talking to the kids. The kids shift and start laughing. He knows how good it is to let the wolf out. It must feel the same to let their tigers out. 

They take off at a nice jog. The kids laughing and dodging around trees just like little cats. The other wolf runs in sync with Stiles. Derek runs behind them both watching the whole scene. Packs tend to run in sync with each other but the kids seem to not care what is happening in the group. They just run around the adults. Derek watches Stiles run. He sets a nice pace for the jog. It's the type of pace you can do for a while. Derek gets lost in watching his mate's backside. He's not ashamed to admit he gets a little hypnotized watching those perfect globes flexing and bouncing with the movement. He takes a minute to appreciate that his mates body is even better now then when he left for college. When shakes himself awake he's covered in sweat. They've covered a couple miles without talking. 

He smirks a little at knowing Stiles hasn't talk to the other wolf. The other wolf is looking at Stiles curiously. Like he's wanting to say something but doesn't know what. They all reach a nice clearing and slow to a stop. The kids are panting but look happy. Derek picks up Sasha and puts him on his hip. “Having a good run?”

“Yeah, it's nice here. We can only shift at daddy's house.” The boy tells him breathing hard. The boy leans his head on Derek's shoulder. Derek wants to bury his face in the boys neck and make him smell like wolf. 

Stiles laughs through panting. Derek has to not think too hard about Stiles panting “We just haven't found any good forested areas around us there. There are lots of vineyards but no large forest areas we have access too. We found a couple smaller ones. But they were really popular so the kids couldn't shift for our runs.”

“This is better.” Claudia adds to the conversation. Derek is starting to think she might be as mouthy as Stiles. Almost every time she can talk, she does. It makes Derek smile at her. 

“I'm sure it is, sweetie. But we'll find you a place back home.” The other wolf says. Derek wants to rip out his throat, with his teeth. “There are some good areas the pack runs on.”

Hmm, Stiles doesn't run the kids with the pack. That's very interesting. “The Preserve has been in my family for generations. We've been running on in forever. Stiles used to train here in high school”

Stiles actually rolls his eyes at that. The clearing starts to fill with the scent of his mate's sweat. Derek wants to drool over that scent. The last time he really could smell Stiles all sweaty up close was years ago. He wants to go over and put his face in Stiles arm pit to get that pungent odor all over him. Sometimes his wolf wants to take over. Now is definitely one of those times. 

“Ok kids, time to play 'attack daddy'. We need to keep you two trained up.” He takes on a fighting stance. Sasha wiggles down from Derek's arms and walks up to his dad with a smile on his face. Then faster then Derek would have thought possible the boy is jumping into his dad's space slashing his claws at Stiles. Derek wants to yell out to be careful. Stiles dodges the claws expertly moving the boys hands to avoid hitting him. Derek can see that the touches he does to the boy are gentle. His mate is training his kids like Argent trained him. He feels his stomach drop thinking about his mate raising his kids to be hunters. 

Before Derek can worry too much about that Claudia flies onto her dads back, jumping from a rock formation that gives her some height. “Hehe, I got you daddy.”

Stiles laughs “You did get me. Good job baby girl.”

“You only got him cause I was fighting him Claudia. He would have gotten you if I wasn't here.” Sasha pouts. 

“Now none of that. It was an awesome team effort honey. You guys took down the baddy together. That's a good thing.” Stiles voice is encouraging and scolding at the same time. It's such a parent tone that Derek melts a little inside. 

They train like this for a while longer. Derek looks over at the other wolf. He has this sweet happy look on his face and it occurs to Derek that the wolf thinks Stiles is just playing with the kids. Not training them to hunt and kill their opponents. What type of pack does this asshole come from that he doesn't recognize hunting techniques? Stiles is teaching hunter and pack styles of fighting to the kids. Derek take a second to marvel at the control the kids have. Wolves would be nuts right now. Tigers must be much different. 

When the attack happens the only excuse he has to not knowing they were coming was being too focused on his mate and kids. But he has a few seconds of being on guard. Stiles notices immediately and tenses up. He sees the other wolf look confused. 

His mate yells out “Kids get down!” before the two rogues rush into the clearing. Stiles moves in front of the kids with a knife in his hand. Derek wonders where it was hidden when one of the wolves tackles him. He rolls to the ground grappling with the rogue. He can hear and smell Stiles fighting with his wolf. He hears grunts and movement and smells blood. Not his mates blood. He smirks as he gets a good grip of the wolf and throws him against a tree. He scrambles up and sees the kids hiding behind Tyler. Stiles has slashed the rogue in multiple places, leaving wounds that aren't closing up. Stiles must be using wolvesbane knives. Derek watches his mate land a solid kick to the wolfs chest sending him to the ground. Stile turns and with a whisper of “freeze” he throws the knife at Derek. 

Derek instinctively freezes at his mates order. He quakes inside as the knife sails at him, thinking of every horrible thing he's done to Stiles. Thinking that a knife thrown at him in the heat of the moment is what he deserves from the mate he hurt so deeply. He closes his eyes not wanting to see the knife hit his body. He hears a pained yelp from directly behind him. The rogue must of recovered from his hit on the tree. Derek spins around too see the rogue on it's back with Stiles' knife sticking out of his chest. His mate has good aim. Derek moves quickly to grab the wolf and throw him next to his friend. Stiles has his gun out aimed at the bleeding wolves. 

Derek moves up to stand next to Stiles. “What are you doing in our territory?”

“We were just passing through. We smelled wolves and came to look. We didn't mean to start a fight.” The one with a knife in it's chest grunts out. Derek can hear the lie. 

“Yeah right. I don't have to be a wolf to hear that lie in that. You attacked a group of wolves with two kids. That's not checking around, that's a declaration of war. What is it? You heard the pack here is small so maybe you could take the territory before we could get you.” His mate huffs out a laugh cynically. His eyes move over to Tyler and his kids, his voice and eyes softening. “Tyler, could you take the kids back to the car? Sweeties, daddy needs to stop these bad wolves. You run back to the car with Uncle Tyler.” 

Tyler looks like he's going to argue with Stiles, idiot. But he nods his head and take the kids. They jog away. Tyler telling the kids that daddy is going to make the bad wolves go away. Derek remembers his dad telling him something similar when he was a kid and his mom had to defend the territory. He was glad that Stiles was doing what he could to keep the kids as innocent as possible. 

“Let's wait a couple minutes. I want the kids out of ear shot of anything.” Stiles looks up at Derek. “Do you want to call Scott?” 

Derek shakes himself from his little admiration haze and calls his Alpha. Scott tells him he is on his way. “So, what should we talk about til he gets here?”

“Oh Sourwolf, you always did know how to make an awkward situation even worse.” The words are mean but Stiles' tone is light. Derek can smell satisfaction coming from his mate. Hmm, his mate is happy. He must not get much chance to really fight anymore. The first time he made Stiles cum was after a fight. The adrenaline was pumping and he ground himself against his mate til he came in his pants. 

“Do you two want to be alone?” The bleeding wolf on the ground asks. 

“Shut up.” He growls at him. 

“So this was a fun day until this happened. The kids were actually starting to get the hang of fighting together. They don't really like it.” Apparently Stiles is going to have a real conversation while he's holding a gun on two wolves, one who is almost unconscious and another with a knife in it's chest. His mate is extraordinary. 

“Why is that? I don't really know anything about tigers.” He wants to learn about them. 

“Well, except for mating and to raise young tiger basically want to be alone. Hell, even Catherine's family wasn't that close. But they can't be trained to fight in a group.” Stiles takes a deep breath like he's manning up to say something hard for him. “Yes I'm raising them as wolves. Shut up Sourwolf.”

Derek wants to laugh, hard. Like fall over laughing. He doesn't but he can't help the huge smile that comes out. “I wasn't going to say anything.” 

“Yeah, right.” Stiles huffs out. 

They wait for a couple minutes in a comfortable silence before he hears Scott and Isaac running towards them. They made good time. Stiles tracks his movements and perks up. He really is tuned to the wolves that he's around. He remembers human relatives being the same way. 

“What happened?” Scott blurts out as he and Isaac come into the clearing. The Alpha looks at the two wolves on the ground then up to Stiles holding the gun on them flashing red eyes. 

“Asshole one and asshole two attacked us while we were playing with the kids. So I stabbed this one a couple time and then stabbed that one.” Stiles points to each wolf as he mentions them with his gun. “They're going to bleed out in a little while if we don't patch them up.”

“We didn't mean to hurt anyone.” The awake wolf states. “Our pack was attacked. We ran.”

“Ohhh, they're clearly nuts then.” Stiles says. Derek can see that Stiles feels bad for them. Most wolves don't survive having their pack being killed. 

“We should put them down. I'm not sure they'll survive much longer without their pack. They don't seem mentally stable.” Derek looks to Scott. Scott makes a sad puppy dog face. His Alpha is too softhearted. He and Stiles were the practical ones in the pack. 

“Fine. But be quick. I don't want them to suffer.” Scott begrudgingly approves. Derek and Stiles quickly finish them off. Derek slashes the throat of the awake wolf. Stiles slashes the unconscious wolfs throat. Their hearts stop. Stiles looks sad for a second then flinches. Derek is at his side a second later.

“What did he do to you?” He's grab Stiles and turning him. Looking for wounds. “You don't smell like blood.”

“I'm fine sourwolf. He just got a couple good hits on my side. Going to be bruised tomorrow.” Stiles lifts his shirt. Derek can see the bruises already forming. Stiles is lucky the wolf didn't use his claws or there would be some big wounds to stitch back together. 

“You're not fine, Stiles.” He growls at him. Scott and Isaac look between the pair. He can feel them judging him. 

“We'll go take the bodies deeper and bury them. You get Stiles back to the house. We still have to meet up with the Renolds pack later.” He wants to pat Scott on the head. His Alpha looks so cute when he's trying to lead. 

“Oh, phone.” Stiles responds to some buzzing in his pants. “Oh good. You guys made it back to the house. The situation is handled here. We're going to head back. I can't really run so it'll take a while.” 

He can see the thoughts of what to do with the kids for the hours it's going to take them to walk back. He could run back in a few minutes. He signals Stiles. “The back door is unlocked and there are sandwiches in the fridge if the kids are hungry. They can watch tv and relax from the run.”

“You get that Tyler? Good. Tell the kids I love them and I'll be heading back.” He feels good that he helped his mate make sure the kids were ok. He can feel the aftereffects of the adrenaline from the fight. He feels a little bit high or at least what he imagines feeling high to be like considering werewolves can't get high. 

Scott and Isaac take off with the bodies. Derek walks next to Stiles as they slowly walk towards his house. He wants to put his arm around Stiles to help but he knows he's not allowed. 

“So if the kids wonder around, they're not going to find anything from sex partners are they? I heard about some of your habits when I moved away.” He can hear a stutter in Stiles heart. He wants to justify what he did, but he can't. 

“Ahh no? I don't think so. There haven't been any partners in a long time so they won't find anything unless they go in my room and look in bedside drawers.” He really hopes they don't. Or they are gong to find lube, lots of lube.

He must be making a weird face because Stiles is laughing at him. “Don't worry. I'm not judging. After all, I did create my kids a weekend we Catherine and I were both stood up by people and bored. I never really faulted you for going a little slutty. God knows I went there. I always assumed it was your response to not getting sex with me until I was 18. You were tired of waiting for it.”

He wants to howl at the idea of his mate with other men and women. But he can't really argue. “Stiles, I want you to know that it wasn't a hardship to wait for sex with you. I had you all the time. The sex was just icing on the cake. It meant more to me when we would actually just sleep together.”

Stiles looks at him with a look he can't place. It's a mix of desire, anger and pity. “Derek, you don't have to do this. You don't have to do the whole 'I was wrong to send you away. I'm really an idiot who can't discuss my feelings like a rational adult'. I get it. My dad told me why you freaked out and got the pack to disown me. I get it. I was a real thing and you weren't ready for a forever type of thing. You of course, being the man of sound judgment you are, over reacted and instead of trying to get me to be safer, you had my family cut me off and I went away to college without anyone to really connect with. It was hard but I got over it. Now I'm a dad and that's how thinks are.”

He doesn't know how to respond to that. It's mostly true. He can hear Stiles trying to keep his voice steady and light, but his heart is hammering in his chest. He's still antsy from the fight. Probably high on the adrenaline as well. Derek reaches out and touches his mates face. “I wasn't going to say that. That is true, but I wasn't going to say it. I was just saying that the sex meant something special with you.” 

“Oh yeah. The sex. That was a fun weekend. Your knot.” Stiles gets a dreamy look on his face and Derek can smell the arousal on him now. Derek flashes to that night, his knot inside Stiles. He has to fight back a growl. He fails. Stiles is flexing his hands, clenching and unclenching. “Hehe, aww Mr Growly. Glad to know that you had fun too.”

Stiles takes a couple steps closer. Derek can feel the heat from his body. Hear his mate's heart beat faster. Stiles keeps licking his lips and looking at Derek's face, moving from his eyes to his lips. The next thing he feels is Stiles lips on his own. His tongue easing its way into his mouth. He moans into his mates mouth. His mates hands all over his back. Derek feels like he's on fire from it. He's lost in the kissing, panting into his mate's mouth. Stiles huffs a laugh into his mouth. His hands sure and hard on his back, holding him close. 

Stiles pulls back and Derek whines at the lose of the taste of his mate. He wants it back. Stiles puts his hands on his shoulders. They feel like brands on Derek's shoulders turning him slowly to face away. Stiles lays his face gently on a tree trunk. His mate kisses and nibbles the back of his neck. Derek moans and grabs the bark roughly. Trying to ground himself to something.

Stiles kisses his way down Derek's back. Kissing and rubbing his face against the cloth on Derek's skin. Derek loves knowing he's going to smell like his mate for hours now. Stiles makes it down his back and is just waiting with his hands on Derek's hips. “Stiles, what are you..” 

He doesn't finish. “Shhhhh, Derek. I have you.” His mate moves his hands up Derek's back while he soothes Derek. “It's ok Der.”

Derek settles and goes back to panting. His mate reaches around him and unbuttons his pants and slowly pulls them down. He wants to stop Stiles. This isn't how he wanted them to be. This isn't love. This is just the aftereffects of being too riled up. But Stiles has his pants down all the way now. He looks down behind his back at Stiles. His mate's eyes are blown wide with lust, his face flushed and his tongue practically hanging out. “Fuck, I always knew your ass was perfect. Always wanted to do this.” 

Stiles moves fast in between Derek's cheeks. His hands hard on his hips holding him tight. Oh god. He's never let anyone do this. Oh god. That's his mate's mouth on his ass. Oh god oh god, that's his mate's tongue on his rim, slowly going around in circles. Someone is sobbing, the noise sounds like someone is dying. It's him, he's practically crying over the sensations of his mate's tongue on him. He can smell his mate's saliva mixing with his scent. It's intoxicating. 

Stiles pulls back and makes soothing noises while moving his hands up and down Derek's side. “Always knew you would taste amazing. Perfect. So fucking sweet.” 

Stiles moves back in and now his hands are pulling his cheeks apart. His tongue moving into him. Now Derek is moaning and fighting his shift, he wants to give into his wolf. Let it out to play. He's gripping the tree so hard his fingers are inside it. And speaking of fingers, Stiles wet finger is moving over his rim, pulling on it so Stiles' tongue can go a little deeper. “Relax for me baby. You need to relax. Don't fight. You can let it out. I always loved your wolf”

Derek starts to feel feral. His mate is begging him to shift. So he does. He feels his fangs come out. His wolf is howling inside him, deep down. It's wants it's mate. In every way. “that's right Der. Let it all out. I'm not going to hurt you.”

His mate is panting with lust. He growls in satisfaction over making his mate lose his cool. All he can smell now is the heady musk of his own body and the wet smell of his mate's mouth. Stiles slowly pushes a finger into him. He shakes his head trying to fight the sensation overload. He can't, all he can do is ride it. He knows his mate will never hurt him. He lays his face against the bark and let's Stiles do what he wants. And what his mate wants to do is put another finger into him. He whimpers at that. But wants more growling out “Mate, more, please mate.”

A part of his mind wonders if he's making any sense. “Don't worry Derek. I have you. I have you.” 

His mate is perfect. He feels his body give in and let Stiles inside more. His fingers with his tongue. His mate sounds hungry with all the licking and moaning into his opening rim. After what feels like hours of this treatment Stiles stands up. Derek knows what's coming and as he's about to tense up, Stiles leans in and places his teeth on Derek's neck. Derek's whole body suddenly goes limp, submitting to his mate. “That's right Derek. I'll take care of you.” Stiles voice is low and gravely. He sounds completely wrecked. Stiles drops his own pants. The deep musky smell of his mate surrounds them. Derek loves this. He loves every fucking minute of this. 

He feels the hard cock of his mate slowly going up and down his crack. “Is this ok, Derek? Can I?”

“Mate, please. Mate.” He's gone, he's just gone on the combined scents of his mate and him. He pushes back on Stiles. His wolf wants his mate to mount him. 

Stiles laughs and kisses his cheek. He places his spit wet cock at his entrance. Just sitting the tip on his rim, slowly easing a tiny bit in. Derek starts to moan and whine. “So needy. I like this side of you. You're so tight Der.”

“First, only.” He's panting. He doesn't know how this is going to go, but he thinks it's going to hurt. He just keeps breathing. 

“I'm your first, like you were mine. Don't worry Der. I'll take care of you.” The head of his cock is all the way inside Derek. Stiles' voice drops to a bare whisper. His hands sliding around to hold Derek close. “Always take care of you.” It comes out as a growl. 

Derek rest his head on the bark, panting as Stiles works him open. The stretch hurts. But not as much as he thought it would. The burn of his mate opening him makes him want to stop, but he wants to make his mate happy. Before he can think to much about it Stiles is buried all the way inside him. Derek is crying from the overwhelming emotions. Knowing his mate is touching him in the most intimate way is making his wolf howl non stop. 

Stiles just stands holding Derek. His cock stilled deep inside of his wolf. Derek knows he's waiting to move for Derek to relax. But he wants his mate to fuck him hard. To own and claim him. He pushes back trying to get Stiles to move. Stiles huffs out a laugh and starts moving. Slowly. “Shhh. Won't hurt you Der.”

The slow pull out and push in drives Derek nuts. He's fighting a howl. Stiles hands are gentle and firm and hard and soft and everything. The thrusting starts going faster and harder. Derek keens from the intensity. Stiles is pulling him back on his cock and reaching around his body. Oh god the feeling of his mates hand on his cock is almost too much. Stiles starts stroking him hard and fast. He feels is knot forming. “Stiles close...”

Stiles speeds up to a brutal pace. “Fuck yeah baby, gonna cum in you Derek. Come for me Der. You can do it.”

Stiles is grunting and then Derek can feel it. His mate is cumming deep inside him. The smell of his mate's release makes Derek whine like an animal. Then Stiles is going even harder at him. Derek never felt this much strength from his mate before. “Come on Der. Come for me. Let me make you feel good.”

Then his mate wraps his hand around his knot and squeezes, Derek's vision goes white and he can hear a wolf howling out that it's being claimed. Oh fuck, that's him. He feels himself cumming again and again, he's coating the tree in front of him. His mate keeps steady pressure on his knot. He feels his knees go weak but he doesn't fall. His mate holds him up. One strong arm pulling him close so Stiles can kiss the back of his neck. They stay like this for a couple minutes until his knot starts to go soft. Then Stiles pulls him even closer using both arms to pin Derek to his front. He starts to nibble on Derek's neck leaving little love bites. “This doesn't mean I forgive you. I just had to do that.”

Derek humms his agreement. That felt amazing. He wants his mate to do that him everyday. They stay close to each other for a while. Until Stile slips out of him. As they get dressed he can practically smell the guilt on Stiles. “Oh fuck. Tyler heard that. He's going to smell that.” 

“Stiles it'll be ok. You're an adult and not married.” He wants to make his mate feel better. 

“Oh fuck fuck fuck. My kids heard that.” Stiles sounds shocked. Derek thinks his mate is crazy.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is shorter then the rest but I thought it would be a good transitional chapter.

Stiles was reeling. He wanted nothing more then to enjoy the afterglow of one of the most intense orgasms of his life but he also wanted to turn and run. He was kinda dating Tyler. He had just cheated, kinda. He knew there was no way Tyler hadn't heard that. Ok, god please, let him not have heard it. But everyone was going to smell it when they walked back. He refuses to meet Derek's eyes, but he can almost feel the happiness and contentment coming off the wolf. 

He does up his pants and tries to walk back to the house when Derek grabs his arms, he looks up into Derek's eyes. “That wasn't casual, Stiles. You know that. And I know you don't forgive me.” Then the fucker smirks. “And don't worry, we were far enough away that your kids didn't hear that. But they might smell it when we get back.”

“Ass.” He turns and heads away. He can feel Derek following him and decides to be a jerk. “Besides, it won't be the first time they've smelled sex. Tyler does spend the night a lot.”

Derek actually makes a whimper sound and Stiles feels like shit. Wait, why does he feel like shit? He's supposed to be angry with them. They kicked him out and broke his heart and all that emotional stuff. Fuck he feels bad cause that was the best sex he's had in years. No matter how much he had in college and even the time he made the twins, it had been nice but not so mind blowing. Tyler was close, but he hated himself for thinking this, Tyler wasn't Derek. Fuck. “Sorry Der.” He mumbles out. 

He walks back on the trail trying to keep quiet. Derek follows. They get to the house and Tyler is playing on the porch with the twins. “Daddy, come play.” Claudia orders. 

He walks up and sits next to her. “Is that how we talk to Daddy?” 

She makes a face, and for a second he thinks he should appoligize to his dad. “Fine. Come play, please?”

He leans down and nuzzles her cheek. “Much better. What are we playing?” He's doing his damned best to not look at Tyler. They seem to have some of their toys out. 

“I'm playing Tiger and Sasha is the hunter.” Claudia has a little toy tiger, orange and black, and Sasha has a G.I.Joe. He throws his head back and laughs. She pitches her voice low and growly. “Oh, hunter, I've never broken the code. We should live in peace.”

Sasha moves his toy up and down while it talks. “I don't care, Tiger. I'm a psycho hunter name Gerald and I will do bad things to weres.” 

He can see Derek from the corner of his eyes, Derek looks green like he has no idea what do to. He might have told his kids some campfire stories about bad hunters. “Stiles, did you really tell them about Gerald?”

He huffs a laugh out. “Only a little bit, don't want them to trust hunters too easily.” He puts Sasha on his lap, the little tiger settles in. “That's how you get crazy Alpha packs lead by wounded Alphas. What do we do when we have to deal with hunters?”

His kids look up and say in unison. “We call Chris.”

“That's right. We talk to hunters we trust. That way we don't end up with burned down houses.” Ok, so maybe he's being a little mean to Derek. Amazing sex aside he is still pissed at him. 

Claudia being the little shit that she is claps her hands. “If our house burns down can we get a big house like this one. It smells bad but we can clean it so it doesn't smell like dogs.”

Tyler is outright laughing his ass off. “Why don't you play with Mr. Hale while I talk to daddy?”

Stiles wants to say no and not let go of Sasha, but he knows he owes Tyler some yelling time. Derek smirks as he moves to sit down with the kids. “Now tell me what Daddy has told you about Hunters.”

He walks off while hearing his kids talk about good hunters and bad hunters. Tyler keeps walking to the tree line and they got a hundred yards in. Stiles hangs his head and waits for it. “So, you smell like you had fun.” 

He opens his mouth and nothing will come out. Finally he gets a “It was the heat of battle thing.”

Tyler looks sad and shakes his head. “The head of battle, really Stiles? Why not just say 'I've been in love with Derek since I was 16 and have no idea how to function properly without him?' That would make more sense then the heat of battle. Plus, I've seen you decide to get ice cream after killing six people. You don't do heat of battle. You do 'I'll kill who I have to' then go right back to normal. You're kind of a sociopath like that. But you never lied to me before.”

Stiles can feel his heart breaking a little. Tyler has been there for him for years and he is right. He can't start lying to him. “You're right. I am in love with Derek Hale and have been since I was 16 and I don't know how to function properly with out him. I haven't been fully healthy in years. Not since they made me leave. I've been angry and violent. I don't work in a loving and healthy situation. I'm a soldier and for almost two years of my life I fought and killed every threat to my territory. I know this isn't healthy and if I was smart I would ask your mom to let me and the kids in and marry you. But I'm not smart. I can't stop that my first instinct is to attack. I've already started training the kids to fight. When they are grown they are going to magnificent.”

He takes a deep breath and looks straight at Tyler. “You deserve someone better then me. I'm damaged goods and I think I always will be. You are kind and sweet. And perfect. I'm not. I'm a hunter who runs with wolves and is raising tigers. You should be with a nice boy. Someone who your mom doesn't secretly hate that you're dating. No, don't lie, we both knows she'd love to have me in her pack, I'm a hell of a threat to unleash, but she wants you with someone better.” He reaches up and puts his hand on the back of Tyler's neck. “I love you. For the past couple years you have been my best friend. But, I'm not in love with you. I want to be. I want to imagine a life with you. I want to see you happy, Tyler. I really want you to be happy. But I don't make you happy do I?”

Tyler looks green. “You do. When we're together with the kids. I'm happy. When we are at the house making dinner with the kids, I'm very happy.” Stiles doesn't need to be a werewolf to know that he's holding something back. “But when I see you training the kids, it makes me a little sick. I'm a werewolf, and I'm scared of you sometimes. My pack doesn't fight, we're big enough we don't have to. But you don't really work in our pack either, I know you would make a good enforcer, but you still are a little wild. Sometimes I watch you interact with the pack and you don't notice, but others are all a little scared of you.”

Stiles tries to hide a smirk, but he can't. “Actually I totally knew about that. I think it's funny. You guys are wolves and you're scared of me. It's awesome.”

Tyler gives him sad puppy eyes. “We're breaking up, don't joke dude.” 

Stiles instantly sobers. “I know. And I'm so sorry Tyler. You would have been a great hubby. But I'm not what you want, or need. I remember the first time I met you. When we were in the woods and you came out of nowhere, I almost killed you but you saved me. I was so full of anger and hatred. For everything really. Catherine was the only bright light in my life during college. Then you. You and your happy world view. I couldn't believed you were so normal, that of the two of us, I was the monster.”

He reaches up and wraps his hand around the back of Tyler's neck pulling him close so their foreheads were touching. “I'm still that monster Tyler. As normal as I act now. I still run every morning armed to the teeth. I walk into a room and have a plan to kill everyone if it comes to that. I know it freaks you out that I can do these terrible things and then act fine. I'm not normal. As normal a life we can build together. I spent too many years fighting. I cant' help it, the formative years of my life I lived in a war zone. I fit here. I won't be able to be anything different. And I do love you, I truly do. You are my best friend. I want you to be happy.”

Tyler is sniffling back tears. “And you have Derek here. You still love him.”

He pulls Tyler close so there whole bodies are pressed close, he holds Tyler's head so his face is buried in Stiles' neck. “No. I don't think I do. The part of me who was in love with him stopped a long time ago. When I left that part of me went away. To be a good dad I had to stop loving him, so I could let go of that big ball of anger inside me. Then I lost Catherine and you were there. You saved me. You held me together and saved me. And I fell in love with you. I'll never be able to make it up to you, but you saved my family. You are my family.”

Stiles can feel the moisture of Tyler's tears on his shoulder. “I love you, Stiles.”

“I love you too, Tyler.” He pulls back and meets Tyler's mouth. He loves how Tyler tastes. The kiss drags on and on, he makes panting noises come out of Tyler. “I love you.” 

Tyler buries his face in Stiles chest and cries. Stiles just holds him. Soothing his hands up and down Tyler's back. He hates himself a little bit, knowing that kiss didn't feel like the start of something, it felt like goodbye. He nuzzles his face into the wolfs hair and just lets him cry. He can feel his own tears slowing coming out. He feels like he's letting go of a dream. Waking up. He wanted the life with Tyler, but it wouldn't work. They wouldn't work. He would hold Tyler until he calmed down and they go back and play with his kids. His kids were his life.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long since an update. I swear I'm going to be working on all my works. This one has some insight into why Derek was such a tool to Stiles.

Derek's POV. 

 

They walked back to the house silently. They've dried their tears and seem presentable when they come out of the trees. Derek takes a minute to appreciate how hard that must have been for Tyler. Derek has been in constant pain missing his mate for years. And now Tyler will suffer. But Stiles was right, Tyler is from a sweeter kinder world then the McCall pack. But Stiles fits with them. He needs someone who will understand when he automatically reaches for a weapon when there is a weird sound. Someone who will know why Stiles is so easy with killing and then going back to normal life. He needs Derek. 

Derek maneuvers Claudia on his back and feels her giggle. “Daddy I got a new horsey. Move horsey.”

Her little legs squeeze around his back as she tries to get him to move. His wolf preens with pride that his mates children trust him so easily. He took a parenting class when he found out the Stiles had children. He had wanted to prepare his life to have kids. 

His human shakes his head and laughs. Even with a broken heart his kids make him happy. “Claudia be nice to your horse, we don't want to break your toy.” 

Derek rolls his eyes at that comment. Sasha runs up and hugs Tyler's legs. “You smell sad, Uncle Tyler. Why are you sad?”

Tyler reaches down and picks Sasha up. “I'm only a little sad sweetie. I'm just sad that I'm going home tomorrow while you and Claudia are going to stay here and take care of your grandpa.”

“Oh, ok then. Just don't be too sad.” Sasha kisses Tyler's cheek and then wiggles until he's put down. He runs over and Stiles snags him bringing him up onto his hip to hug him close. “We're gonna take care of grandpa aren't we daddy?”

“Yup, sweetie. We're going to stay here for a while until grandpa is better. It could take a while. So we're going to stay at daddy's old house.” He walks over to Derek and Claudia. “We should get going. We're going to visit grandpa and then we are going to dinner with the Renolds. That will be fun.” 

Derek holds back a whimper at Stiles spending time with the foreign pack. Although to Stiles, the McCall probably feels foreign. From everything they've learned about him he's a steady feature on the Renolds Pack. But never an official member. Derek feels deep down that Stiles never joined because he wanted to be begged to come home. Derek had been prepared to beg at Stiles' graduation when he had seen the level of rage coming off the man, Stiles had played at trying to be indifferent but Derek knew that Stiles wasn't ready to forgive them from all the pain they caused him. But now, Stiles didn't smell like rage. Frustration, yes, but not rage. They had all done some growing up in the past couple years. Stiles, more then any, but Derek had grown too. When all of this started he was probably closer to Stiles' age then his own, in maturity at lease. He had been so confused when he came back to Beacon Hills. Falling for a teenage had wrecked him. He had done the stupidest thing in his life, even worse then Kate, he had sent Stiles away. The years without Stiles had made him grow up. He had a good job, had rebuilt his home and was ready to settle down. He just needed his mate to forgive him.

He walks the kids back to the car and helps Stiles buckle them in. Stiles giving him a smile for it. “I'll see you tonight.”

He raises his eyebrows at the implied welcome in Stiles voice. Stiles still had a 'I've been fucking' look on his face. Derek loves how he smells like both them. For so many years he had been living on memories of being with Stiles. He was fully prepared to fall to his knees tonight after the pack dinner and beg Stiles to take him back. He watched Stiles drive off with the cubs giggling in the car. 

Scott and Isaac come back from dealing with the bodies. They look happy until they get closer. “Dude! You smell like sex. What the hell?”

Derek gives them a smug smirk. “Stiles had some after battle energy to burn off.”

Isaac looks concerned. “But I thought you wanted him back, not a quick hook up? Shouldn't you have waited?”

He growls. “I didn't plan it. It just happened. And I'm glad it did. I want him to remember how good it can be with me. Have you seen how hot Tyler is? He's like happier version of me. Plus he let Stiles be in charge of sex. That's something I never did. I was in charge and I..”

“Hey! You've been working on this with your therapist. You've been working on blaming yourself for your family. And while Stiles was younger then you, you did not rape him. You were in a loving committed relationship with him.” This is why Scott is a good Alpha. He cuts through Derek's guilt with a firm voice. “Now were you an asshole about how you ended it? Of course. But you did not rape him. And now you have a change to explain it and beg him to take you back. But you might want to chill on the sex until you are in a better place emotionally. His dad is in the hospital so let's just agree that now is probably not the time for him to be making huge life decisions. Just make a case, saying that you want him back and that you're willing to do anything for that.”

Derek can feel himself start to calm down. That was it. The secret he never told Stiles. That was why he had freaked out and sent Stiles away. He had gotten Scott to go along with him by making the young man think it was to keep Stiles safe. When the Alpha had found out it was just about Derek's insecurities about the age differences, his own damage from Kate, the lasting effects of losing Erica and Boyd, he had nearly gutted Derek. It had been weeks of healing like a human. The pack had bloodied him every time in training for months after that. The day he took the bandages off from the his punishment he went and talked to Deaton. The ex-emissary had recommended a good doctor and Derek had begun seeing them twice a week. Pharmaceuticals didn't work but having someone to talk to helped. 

Couple years of therapy had helped me to move on. He had been able to let go of a lot of his hang ups. He just prayed that he would be able to show Stiles how he changed.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I posted this in the wrong story. sorry. Alright, this story is only a couple chapters away from being done. Thanks so much for reading it.

Stiles was still feeling a bit high from the sex. It had been intense. He really hoped that it wasn't showing on his face how satisfied he was. His kids were singing along with the radio and laughing. He kept glancing over at the wolf trying to see if he was going to cry again. He was such an ass. 

“Quite staring dorko.” Tyler said rolling his eyes. “Daddy's being silly.”

His children join in with Tyler and start to tease him. Sasha begins chanting 'dorko' while he heads to the hotel to drop Tyler off. He changed his mind, the wolf should cry again. Teaching his kids bad manners. He pulled into the only really high end hotel in Beacon Hills and hugged Tyler goodbye. They drove to the hospital after that. 

Walking into his dads room he again felt a pang of guilt at the sight of his dad looking so pale and older. “Hey, Pops.”

His dad opens his eyes and smiles. “Hey there are my favorite people. How are my little grandkids?”

Claudia climbs up on his dads bed and cuddles into him. “We're good grandpa. Derek was my horsey for a while. It was nice. When you're better can you be my horsey too?”

Stiles sputters out a laugh. “Honey, grandpa is going to need lots of rest for a while. So he probably won't be your horsey for a long time. We'll just ask Derek to do it again, ok?”

His dad gives him a knowing look at his mention of Derek. Does he still look sex drunk? Crap. “So Derek was your horsey? Did he do a good job of it?”

He lets Claudia and Sasha tell his dad all about their day while he actually thinks about what he just did. He broke up with Tyler and had sex with Derek. He can still feel how good it was to hold onto Derek. He had felt right in a way that being with Tyler hadn't. He felt a dirty thrill at finally getting to top Derek. But he shook his head away from sexy thoughts, his kids always said he smelt funny. He had to think logically about this situation. His dad was going to need help for a little while, maybe a couple weeks of physical therapy and help around the house until he was better. Now the pack would help him but Stiles wanted to growl at the idea of anyone taking care of his dad but him, he was still angry at being sent away. But watching his dad lay with his children and talk to them about their days. He gets flooded with memories of his childhood. His dad flying him around his house playing airplane. Running to his dad the first time he lost a tooth. The memories keep coming and make him smile. 

He missed his dad. He missed Scott and Melissa. He missed Derek. And he even missed Beacon Hills. He took a deep breath and let the last remnants of the all consuming anger he had been slowly letting go for years. He would still have issues with trusting the McCall pack for a while, but the bad memories were only as powerful as he let them be, he was an adult. He was a dad. It was time for him to grow up and forgive them. They were all stupid kids forced to grow into roles they weren't ready to assume yet. Now he was a doctor, had a good practice and had kids. He wasn't the same person that left Beacon Hills. Maybe it was time to see who the new Scott and Derek were, to see the new people they had become while he was gone. It wouldn't be easy and it wouldn't be fun. But when he took away all the anger and rage he had felt, he could only still feel love. The love he had felt for his dad all his life. The love he felt for Scott as a brother. And even the love he had felt for Derek. He glanced at his dad again. All three were asleep. His kids had needed to take a nap anyway. Watching them he came to a very startling decision. He was staying. He hated this but he fit with this pack. They understood his scars. They didn't touch him when he was staring off in to the memories of fights. That was how you got hit, hard. He had missed the fighting a little bit. 

He started planning for the meeting of the packs tonight. He was going bargain for Barbara and her son to come live in Beacon Hills when he set up a practice. His thoughts started to form solid plans.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so thank you to everyone who stayed with this to the end. I swear i haven't given up on any of my stories. I just have a full time job and a busy life.   
> Here is the final chapter of this story. I know some are going to be upset, but I decided going into this story that I couldn't make a sad or super angry story where Stiles is a father. Sorry. So i went with the happy ending.

Epilogue 

Stiles signs the final payment on the movers as they finish placing the last of his equipment in his new office. It was surprisingly easy to move find an construction crew and get his practice opened with Deatons. The past two months were honestly incredibly happy to for him. The official meeting of the two packs was uneventful and Barbara easily agreed to come to Beacon Hills with him. 

He turned to the sound of “daddy!!” being giggle yelled at him. He bends over to swing Sasha into the air and brings his kid in for a squeeze. Joining in the laughter he watches Derek walk up holding Claudia on his shoulder. His kid looks like a natural on the wolf. He lets his happiness show in his smile and his momentarily blinded by Derek's smile in return. “Daddy, you smell good.”

He glances back and Sasha and tells him. “That's cause I'm happy. Happy daddy always smells good.”

Claudia jumps from Derek's back for her share of daddy hugs. He pulls both of his kids close and thanks the universe for making him go to the gym. His kids are heavy. Derek hesitantly leans into the family. Stiles can see how unsure he is of his welcome. “Join the fun, sourwolf.”

Derek's entire face beams as he wraps his arms around the trio. Stiles has to stifle a laugh as he can hear Derek sniff him. “You do smell good.”

He doesn't bother holding back anymore and just laughs. His kids giggle with him and start to squirm a bit so he lets them slide to the ground between Derek and him. The wolf pulling closer in and completely hugging him. He lets the wolf hold him until he starts to get the itch that someone is watching him. He turns and relaxes as Scott and Allison walk down the street. Scott is holding a bottle. “I thought we could celebrate your return.”

“Is this how it's going to be living here again? Everyone just randomly being around.” He tries to sound stern while asking.

Scott looks embarrassed for a second than smiles. “Yup. Get used to it.”

He just keeps laughing at the whole situation. It's insane but he's very happy to be home. He didn't realize how much he missed his dad until he got to see him everyday. He would never let the pack push him away again. He didn't think they would. Everyone in the pack has stopped by at least three times in the few days he had been back. He wasn't a specialist in psychology but he could see the lasting wounds the pack had from not having him around. He took a little bit of happiness at it but he couldn't think to long about that cause his kids were pulling on his pants demanding his attention. “Can we go to the park now?”

He kisses the tops of their heads and agrees. He locks up his new office and they start to walk as a group. He feels like he belongs for the first time in a while. He knows he'll be angry at them but you forgive family. And they were his family.


End file.
